SAT exam will replace PARCC for Illinois high school students

The Illinois State Board of Education, ISBE, has announced that it will provide the College Board’s SAT exam, including a writing component, at no cost to all public high school juniors during the 2016-17 school year.

The SAT will replace the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, PARCC, assessment as the high school accountability exam in Illinois.

“District and school administrators overwhelmingly agree with ISBE that every high school junior should have access to a college entrance exam, a policy that promotes equity and access and that provides each and every student with greater opportunities in higher education,” said State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith.

“The SAT is aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards and will continue to empower educators to measure college and career readiness.”

Students in grades 3 through 8 will continue to take the PARCC assessment.

The PARCC assessment is also aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards, and its results provide educators with data that may be used to provide individualized supports to students while preparing them for mastery of the state standards.

ISBE says that access to a quality college entrance exam is essential in providing future opportunities to all students.

The Every Student Succeeds Act, ESSA, a bipartisan measure signed into law by President Obama on Dec. 10, 2015, focuses on the goal of fully preparing students for success in college and careers.

In the course of developing a state plan for ESSA, ISBE has conducted listening tours to obtain insight from stakeholders, including students, parents, schools, districts, educators, administrators, exclusive bargaining representatives, advocacy groups, and other interested parties.

Stakeholders overwhelmingly emphasized the need for equitable access to a college entrance exam for all students.

They also stressed that the amount of testing time and the number of assessments administered to students need to be reduced.

Most college-bound students must take an entrance exam for admission.

The SAT will eliminate redundancy and maximize the value of their testing time.

By administering the SAT in high school and PARCC in grades 3 through 8, ISBE continues to foster the conditions whereby educators can support students in becoming college and career ready.