Indiana juniors are now required to take the SAT. Here’s why.
I get it. Maybe you’re knee-deep in potty training or kindergarten decisions. Maybe you’re prepping for spring sports or a 3rd grade play. Or maybe you’re like me and the years of motherhood have passed quickly (but also slowly!), and you find yourself facing high school admission tests and discussing colleges with your kiddo.
But there's something new facing parents of high school students, and it’s worth chatting over:
Starting this Spring 2022, the State of Indiana makes a big shift for all high school juniors - they’ll be required to take the SAT.
Isn’t this unusual?
Little bit. See, many colleges have paused or permanently dropped standardized test requirements - such as the SAT - from their general admissions process. They feel this update opens opportunities for a more diversified student body and increased attendance numbers.
So if many colleges are removing it from basic admissions, why is my Indiana junior required to take the SAT?
Good question. Most immediately, it allows the state to meet federal education accountability requirements. Digging deeper, we learn this was actually included in a larger 2018 education proposal to strengthen the state’s graduation requirements, and with what Rep. Bob Behning called “clear value to students headed to college.” Plus - as some experts point out - SATs and other standardized test scores are also used with scholarship applications.
Wait what about ISTEP?*
The Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress or “ISTEP” has in past years been used to measure a student’s academic performance. And although this new SAT legislation was approved prior to the pandemic, it could be a blessing in disguise: State ISTEP scores took a nose-dive thanks to pandemic disruptions.
What if the SAT isn’t right for my student?
That’s ok too. While the legislation is abbreviated to note a required SAT for Indiana juniors, it actually includes an array of testing opportunities including the SAT, ACT, an ASVAB test with a minimum score (that has yet to be announced), or completing a transition-to-career pathway course within their school. But frankly, educators are waiting until after this Spring’s testing rounds to determine benchmarks.
Now that you have the background, there’s another topic to tackle: How to prep your student for the SAT.
There are a lot of technical questions left unanswered right now about this shift in testing, and Class 101 of Carmel is on top of it. Class 101 has tackled SAT, ACT, and other college prep testing for years. If you’re looking for experts, they’re it.
“Practice makes Progress,” says the team at Class 101. “We start test prep as early as freshman year. It’s all about knowing your baseline score, identifying trends, and taking the test more than a few times.”
And if you don’t have the luxury of time, that’s ok too. Class 101 is working hard to get answers many parents have to these new requirements.
”One thing parents need to understand about the state-mandated SAT is that students will have to take the test via computer,” said Class 101 representatives. “We are offering a 6-week SAT course to help them learn how to do so and learn the nuances. The computerized test can take longer and be cumbersome. We’ll help students understand the test and how to efficiently maneuver through it."
Class 101 also brings a vest of college prep services from pursuing financial aid to managing application deadlines to improving grades.
We asked CityMom Lateva what made her decide to work with Class 101: “My family is so excited to start working with Class 101 after our initial meeting with Alyssa. I felt like this was a service that takes the weight off trying to figure it all out for our daughters ourselves. They know the ins and outs of so many things and I feel like it will help me a TON! At the same time, (they know) parents can't be their kids' only cheerleader or accountability person.”
While we await more detail from the State of Indiana on these new SAT testing benchmarks, we’ll be sure to keep you in the loop. For now though, we’re following Chalkbeat’s headlines with bated breath.
MORE DETAILS: Class 101 is a team of experts dedicated to removing the guesswork from the college planning experience. Their office is located at 600 E Carmel Dr #109, Carmel, IN 46032. Connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, or their website. Schedule your own free consultation today.
* At time of legislation passing, the State of Indiana standardized test was known as the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress, or ISTEP. It has since been renamed the Indiana Learning Evaluation Assessment Readiness Network, or ILEARN.
