COLLEGE BOARD - Makes big announcement on Jan 19, 2021

• discontinue Subject Exams & SAT Essay

• ensure MAY 2021 AP Exams FULL LENGTH

• rollout digital SAT fall 2021

• SAT Subject Tests (will still be offered internationally May & June 2021)

  • U.S. existing registrations will automatically be canceled and student fees will be reimbursed

  • Discontinuing Subject Exams frees up seating capacity for SAT testers, and offers students more time to focus on AP Exams

  • Students with Subject Exam Scores will still be able to submit their scores to colleges through the College Board; however colleges may vary in how they select to use these exams for admission purposes (Subject Exams have been useful in determining course level placement, highlight mastery in a subject, and support student applications from Homeschool, Private and Virtual Schools)

• SAT Essay (after June 2021, the essay portion will only be available in states that require it for accountability)

  • Most colleges were currently not requiring the SAT Essay (CB stresses that its AP English Language & Comp and AP English Lit & Comp Exams require essays, and that the Reading, Writing & Language portions of the SAT highlight predictive parts of the SAT)

• CB is investing in a more flexible SAT — a streamlined, digitally-delivered exam that meets the evolving needs of the students and higher education (keeping in step with ACT)

IMPACT ON THE COLLEGE-BOUND STUDENTS

• While ‘test optional’ is certainly going to continue with many colleges, college admission exams also will continue, and will morph to accommodate the growing complexities of an ever changing environment—perhaps right into the student’s home.

• Although rigor of course work and grades remain most important, standardizing testing will still play a part in admissions, and especially STEM / Math related type majors.
  

• There continue to be several state / public university grant and scholarship programs that are tied to college entrance exams. Some honors programs consider test scores. In the past, test scores have impacted many admission and scholarship decisions — it will be interesting to examine admission data later in the summer.

• AP Course Exams will be full length (paper-and-pencil) this May (regardless of COVID-19), and teachers now have more freedom in determining contingency testing in late May and June. Coordinators will have the ability to authorize at-home, full-length digital contingency testing during specific testing windows.

  IMPACT ON HOME SCHOOL, PRIVATE & VIRTUAL SCHOOLS

• Pivot to alternative testing such as AP Exams - Update for 2020-21: The deadline for exam ordering will be extended to March 12 for homeschooled students, independent study students, virtual school students, or students from other schools who were unable to find a school to order an AP Exam for them by November 13. In early 2021, CB will provide guidance about how to support students who cannot test in schools.

  • CB is providing resources for AP Exam prep - see myap.collegeboard.org • AP Classroom is an online resource that helps students improve their performance all year long. • It’s mobile friendly, so students can access it anytime, anywhere, once they’ve joined the class online. • AP Classroom includes: ▪ AP Daily Videos ▪ Practice Questions ▪ Personal Progress Checks ▪ Progress Dashboard

    • CB is also offering Course Pacing Guides on AP Central

    • Starting April 19th-30th, CB will be offering live online review sessions

PATRICIA NEHME, CERTIFIED EDUCATIONAL PLANNER

Sources - College Board announcement January 19, 2021

College Board Counselor Presentation - January 21, 2021

ACT to Launch Online Learning Program for ACT College Entrance Exam

ACT to Launch ACT Academy, a Free, Online Learning Program Designed to Help Improve ACT Scores, College Readiness

Find the text of the full Jan 23, 2018 press release below or the link can be found here. 

IOWA CITY, Iowa—ACT today announced plans to launch ACT® Academy™, a free online learning tool and test practice program designed to help students master the skills they need to improve their ACT scores and succeed in college and career. The program will be launched in the spring. 

ACT Academy will help students improve their college and career readiness by providing them with video lessons, interactive practice questions, full-length practice tests, educational games and other materials targeted to their academic needs. Each student will receive their own personalized study plan based on their scores from the ACT® test, PreACT®, official ACT practice tests, or diagnostics within ACT Academy.

 
“ACT Academy will help students improve their readiness for the ACT test and college and career by giving them the resources they need to increase their understanding of core academic skills,” said Suzana Delanghe, ACT chief commercial officer. “And the fact that ACT Academy will be free to all students is yet another way ACT is working to close gaps in equity, opportunity and achievement for underserved learners.”

ACT Academy will provide students with engaging content and materials developed by ACT, the Khan Academy, NASA, PBS and other learning organizations in one convenient place. All of the content will be sorted by efficacy, so students receive the resources that have been proven to be most effective for each skill. It will include the high-quality materials of ACT’s OpenEd, the leading online resource library for K-12 teachers. 

ACT Academy will be compatible with all devices and will allow students to work on building their skills anytime, anywhere they have internet access. Parents, teachers, and counselors can also use ACT Academy to help students study and learn. 

One unique advantage ACT Academy will provide students is the ability to drill down and pinpoint building-block skills they have missed. Every user will have access to thousands of ACT resources, as well as ACT’s proven tips and strategies. 

For more information about ACT Academy, visit: www.act.org/academy. 

International Students - Good Guidance through the Admissions Process

• If we start with the premise that the college counselor is already quite adept in advising the international student (a Certificated Educational Planner, UCLA College Counselor Certificate with International Student coursework, professional member of OACAC, HECA, IECA and NACAC), then the time constraints are perhaps the most pressing challenges for this advisor. There are numerous sequential parts encompassing both the immigration and financial aid processes. Each piece seems dependent on the previous step and the approaching deadline(s). Every facet of the process seems very much interrelated. A counselor’s ability to create a student plan four years out (when you consider the testing and language piece too), and schedule the processes based on the individual preferences is crucial.

  For the counselor with a large case load, finding the time to adequately understand the needs of each student, identify and develop a strategy for that one individual, then communicate and monitor the processes to ensure the optimal outcome, will undoubtedly involve more of the counselor. Starting early is essential. Gaining a clear sense of family dynamics (communication and logistic issues may be formidable), providing colleges with a sneak preview of the applicant by mid-junior year, then advocating for the student will require more of a time investment.

  Identifying institutional fit early enough to have the COF in place for an Early Decision application, yet making sure that bank statements and other supplemental documents are current with timely submissions may pose challenges too. Having an independent consultant / private college counselor help oversee deadlines brings a tremendous asset to the international student. 

  For those students already attending US high schools, the counselor’s piece in the matriculation process is more involved with submitting the I-20 soon after graduation. Advising students on waitlists may involve summer availability.

• As your private college counselor and independent educational consultant, I (Patricia Nehme, CEP) will play a more pivotal role in advising about immigration issues, in researching college options and financial aid resources, in advocating for the student, in facilitating the various processes and in continuing to be a resource after high school graduation.

Helping Our Children Learn by MyloWrites

As an educational consultant, I always want to share 'best practices':

What are the elements that support our students’ sustained engagement in the difficult process of learning? How can we help students experience success? Here are just a few ideas:

1. We continuously keep in mind that learning is an emotional and a cognitive endeavor, and we understand that how the learner feels in the context of the learning experience can influence engagement in the process and the ultimate outcome.

We are attuned to what children may be feeling as they engage in learning, and we respond to this affective experience sensitively, adjusting our approach to help reduce anxiety and frustration.  

2. We engage in ongoing assessment that guides the construction of differentiated learning experiences for students. 

When we engage in a process of fine-tuned observation of students’ responses to instruction, we are better able to provide learning experiences that are optimal.  If students are within their instructional zone, they are less likely to feel flooded by frustration, anxiety and dread, and more likely to actually be available to engage in the difficult process of learning. 

3. We supply appropriate scaffolding for students’ learning.        

Based on Vygotsky’s “zone of proximal development,” scaffolding allows the learner to engage in material or processes that are within reach if given the appropriate supports.  Scaffolding learning may include teacher or peer modeling, breaking assignments down into component parts, collaborative learning, reciprocal teaching, and many more creative techniques.  As the learner develops competency and independence, the scaffolds employed become unnecessary, and thus are removed.  

4. We provide opportunities for students to make choices about their learning. 

Students are often more motivated to participate in the hard work of learning if they feel personally invested and engaged in the content and process.  Providing opportunities for students to make choices in their learning often secures this kind of investment. 

5. We make learning relevant and meaningful to students. 

When the knowledge and skills we teach are relevant to the lives and interests of students, learning feels more purposeful.  Purpose sustains engagement, even when the going gets tough. 

6. Above all, we remember that learning is often best done in the context of strong relationships and safe environments.  

We prioritize the building of healthy learning communities.  

We work hard to neutralize the negative charge frequently inherent in an environment that serves learners with a range of strengths, weaknesses and needs.  We help children to understand that difference is not pejorative, but merely descriptive.   

We model self-compassion and frustration tolerance, engage in a stance of curiosity when problems arise, and employ a flexible approach to problem solving.

And finally, we invest in our students, getting to know them, and building authentic connections based on an appreciation and respect for their individuality.  

By Dr. Alice Mangan is a clinical psychologist in NYC who works in both her own private practice and in schools to provide consultation, assessment, evaluation, and psychotherapy services.