What's New with PSAT/NMSQT

What's New with PSAT/NMSQT®
by The CollegeBoard

Posted by Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Assistant Principal for Instruction

As the school year begins, we're excited to tell you about some changes the PSAT/NMSQT Program is making. This year, the PSAT/NMSQT will be reporting on an updated set of skills, the same college readiness skills reported on by the SAT® and ReadiStep™. We've also improved our reporting tools to provide you and your students with even more actionable feedback.
For Educators:

• Improved Summary of Answers and Skills report with aggregate feedback to identify skill gaps and improve instruction
• New PSAT/NMSQT Skills Insight tool that explains each skill and demonstrates the link between skills and scores
• Updated alignments with state standards to better show how the PSAT/NMSQT measures the skills tested in your state
• New College Readiness Benchmarks that help identify which students are on track to be college-ready

For Students:

• Redesigned Score Report Plus that shows performance on each skill tested
• Improved online My College QuickStart™ tool with more personalized improvement advice and practice questions

For more information, visit www.collegeboard.com/psatreports.
 
As the school year goes on, we will provide additional information and resources to help you and your students take full advantage of the new PSAT/NMSQT reporting.

Best wishes for a successful year!

SAT Scores Continuing to Soar at Dutch Fork High

SAT Scores Continuing to Soar at Dutch Fork High!


by Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Assistant Principal for Instruction

The SAT is a standardized test used by nearly all college admissions throughout the United States to evaluate a student’s college readiness. Owned, published, and developed by the College Board, the SAT consists of three distinct sections that objectively measure the critical reading, mathematical reasoning, and writing skills of the students. Each year, more than two million students take the SAT.

SAT scores are arguably the most reliable measure of a high school’s ability to prepare its students for college. The scores from each of the three sections can range from 200 to 800, so the maximum total score is 2400. Since the average score for each section is roughly 500, the average total score is about 1500. Nearly all traditional four-year colleges require SAT scores as part of the application process for high school students.

Based on the latest data available from the School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties (Testing Summaries) students from Dutch Fork High School (DFHS) have significantly outperformed those from other high schools across the country on the SAT. The results for 2010 reveal that the composite score of 1572 for Dutch Fork High School students remains in the top tier of schools in South Carolina. 1572 is also 63 points higher than the national average (1507), 125 points higher than the state average (1447) and 36 points higher than the district average of 1519. The DFHS subject comparisons for the critical reading, math, and writing portions of the exam are as follows:

Additionally, students at Dutch Fork High School have progressively scored higher on the SAT. Our five year average is 1579 (Critical Reading - 519 , Math - 547, and Writing - 502 ).

Over the past three years, we have remained consistent in our SAT performance and continue to perform better than the district, state, and national averages.

In general, most high school students must achieve a combined SAT score of at least 1500 for admissions into the mid-tier colleges. To be considered by the top-tier colleges and universities like Stanford and MIT, students need a total score of at least 2000. Taking the SAT is one of the more critical components of the college admissions process. Making sure you achieve a high SAT score, will enable you to get into many of the prestigious colleges and universities across the country and qualify for many scholarships. Do not underestimate the importance of a high SAT score. Take your preparations for this admissions exam seriously while you are enrolled in the appropriate classes. The combination will better prepare you for your college experience.

Please visit http://www.collegeboard.com/ for more information about the SAT.