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Students Might Have to Take College Admissions Tests at Home This Fall Students Might Have to Take College Admissions Tests at Home This Fall
(about 2 months later)
Pencils down.Pencils down.
The SAT and the ACT, standardized tests that serve as a gateway to college for millions of applicants each year, announced on Wednesday that they would develop digital versions for students to take at home in the fall if the coronavirus pandemic continues to require social distancing.The SAT and the ACT, standardized tests that serve as a gateway to college for millions of applicants each year, announced on Wednesday that they would develop digital versions for students to take at home in the fall if the coronavirus pandemic continues to require social distancing.
The switch would mark one of the most significant changes in the history of the admissions tests, which are normally taken with a sharpened No. 2 pencil and paper in a highly secure setting, under the watchful eye of proctors.The switch would mark one of the most significant changes in the history of the admissions tests, which are normally taken with a sharpened No. 2 pencil and paper in a highly secure setting, under the watchful eye of proctors.
David Coleman, the chief executive of the College Board, a nonprofit organization that oversees the SAT and brings in more than $1 billion a year in revenue, described the possibility of at-home testing as “unlikely” in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. He also announced that the June testing date for the SAT, like others this spring, would be canceled.David Coleman, the chief executive of the College Board, a nonprofit organization that oversees the SAT and brings in more than $1 billion a year in revenue, described the possibility of at-home testing as “unlikely” in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. He also announced that the June testing date for the SAT, like others this spring, would be canceled.
A spokesman for the ACT, the rival test, said it too was prepared to move to at-home digital testing in the fall, if necessary.A spokesman for the ACT, the rival test, said it too was prepared to move to at-home digital testing in the fall, if necessary.
Even the possibility brought stark warnings from critics and testing experts, who said at-home tests could exacerbate inequality, raise privacy issues and make it easier to cheat. Test security is a significant concern in the wake of last year’s college admissions scandal, in which prosecutors accused some wealthy parents of helping their children cheat on the tests to get into exclusive universities.Even the possibility brought stark warnings from critics and testing experts, who said at-home tests could exacerbate inequality, raise privacy issues and make it easier to cheat. Test security is a significant concern in the wake of last year’s college admissions scandal, in which prosecutors accused some wealthy parents of helping their children cheat on the tests to get into exclusive universities.
Low-income students already face disadvantages when it comes to testing, including a lack of access to private tutors, study guides and other means available to wealthy students trying to boost their scores. Making them take a high-stakes test at home could put them at a further disadvantage, experts said.Low-income students already face disadvantages when it comes to testing, including a lack of access to private tutors, study guides and other means available to wealthy students trying to boost their scores. Making them take a high-stakes test at home could put them at a further disadvantage, experts said.
“You’re going to have an upper-middle-class kid with his own bedroom and his own computer system with a big monitor in a comfortable environment taking his SATs,” said Mark Sklarow, chief executive of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, which represents private college admissions coaches. “And you’re going to have a kid who lives in a home maybe with spotty broadband, one family computer in the dining room.”“You’re going to have an upper-middle-class kid with his own bedroom and his own computer system with a big monitor in a comfortable environment taking his SATs,” said Mark Sklarow, chief executive of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, which represents private college admissions coaches. “And you’re going to have a kid who lives in a home maybe with spotty broadband, one family computer in the dining room.”
He added, “I don’t know how that can be equitable.”He added, “I don’t know how that can be equitable.”
The College Board’s president, Jeremy Singer, described plans for a remote proctoring system that “locks down everything else in the computer. The camera and microphone are on, you can detect any movement in the room. If the parents are in there, next to them, that would be detected.”The College Board’s president, Jeremy Singer, described plans for a remote proctoring system that “locks down everything else in the computer. The camera and microphone are on, you can detect any movement in the room. If the parents are in there, next to them, that would be detected.”
Experts said many families might be reluctant to give the organization such extensive access to their private devices.Experts said many families might be reluctant to give the organization such extensive access to their private devices.
“That’s a big privacy issue, both to lock down your computer and to put some kind of client on your computer to be able to do that,” said Jonathan Supovitz, a professor of leadership and policy at the Graduate School of Education for the University of Pennsylvania.“That’s a big privacy issue, both to lock down your computer and to put some kind of client on your computer to be able to do that,” said Jonathan Supovitz, a professor of leadership and policy at the Graduate School of Education for the University of Pennsylvania.
The development of an online option is an indication that the testing companies are fighting for their lives. The fairness of standardized testing was already under increasing attack before the virus, with some colleges and universities moving away from the tests as an application requirement.The development of an online option is an indication that the testing companies are fighting for their lives. The fairness of standardized testing was already under increasing attack before the virus, with some colleges and universities moving away from the tests as an application requirement.
In the wake of the pandemic, more colleges have at least temporarily made ACT and SAT results optional for 2021 applicants, including the vast University of California system, Tulane, Case Western Reserve and Williams College.In the wake of the pandemic, more colleges have at least temporarily made ACT and SAT results optional for 2021 applicants, including the vast University of California system, Tulane, Case Western Reserve and Williams College.
Mr. Coleman said the College Board was planning to make up for the loss of spring testing dates by offering SAT exams every month through the end of the year, beginning in August, if restrictions on in-person gatherings have been lifted.Mr. Coleman said the College Board was planning to make up for the loss of spring testing dates by offering SAT exams every month through the end of the year, beginning in August, if restrictions on in-person gatherings have been lifted.
The organization has already announced that it will give Advanced Placement tests at home in May because of the virus. Those subject-matter tests for high school students, most of whom have taken A.P. courses, will become a kind of dress rehearsal for a digital SAT.The organization has already announced that it will give Advanced Placement tests at home in May because of the virus. Those subject-matter tests for high school students, most of whom have taken A.P. courses, will become a kind of dress rehearsal for a digital SAT.
All of this has heightened the anxiety level for those applying to college. Jessica Cohen, 17, a junior at South High Community School in Worcester, Mass., had been studying for the SAT and hoping to take it multiple times to get the highest possible score, she said. But now she may forgo the test entirely.All of this has heightened the anxiety level for those applying to college. Jessica Cohen, 17, a junior at South High Community School in Worcester, Mass., had been studying for the SAT and hoping to take it multiple times to get the highest possible score, she said. But now she may forgo the test entirely.
Updated June 5, 2020
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
“I just don’t know how many colleges will require SATs,” she said. Among her top choices are Smith College, College of the Holy Cross and Mount Holyoke College, which are already test-optional institutions.“I just don’t know how many colleges will require SATs,” she said. Among her top choices are Smith College, College of the Holy Cross and Mount Holyoke College, which are already test-optional institutions.
Ms. Cohen also noted that many of her public school classmates did not have reliable internet access, making it unfair to expect them to take the SAT at home. “That would be impossible for them,” she said.Ms. Cohen also noted that many of her public school classmates did not have reliable internet access, making it unfair to expect them to take the SAT at home. “That would be impossible for them,” she said.
Angela Nguyen, 17, a junior at the School for the Talented and Gifted in Dallas, took the SAT in November but was not happy with her score. She has been preparing to retake the test, she said, and is concerned that waiting until August could affect her performance. She does not expect to be at her peak academically over the summer, after a long break from school.Angela Nguyen, 17, a junior at the School for the Talented and Gifted in Dallas, took the SAT in November but was not happy with her score. She has been preparing to retake the test, she said, and is concerned that waiting until August could affect her performance. She does not expect to be at her peak academically over the summer, after a long break from school.
With at-home testing, the College Board said it would build on its previous experience giving the SAT digitally to tens of thousands of students in several states. But the scale of a nationwide effort would be much larger, involving more than a million high school juniors.With at-home testing, the College Board said it would build on its previous experience giving the SAT digitally to tens of thousands of students in several states. But the scale of a nationwide effort would be much larger, involving more than a million high school juniors.
Mr. Coleman said the College Board had been calling low-income families in an effort to understand the conditions in their homes, like the amount of internet bandwidth. The testing software would be available in advance, he said, so students would not be logging in for the first time on testing day.Mr. Coleman said the College Board had been calling low-income families in an effort to understand the conditions in their homes, like the amount of internet bandwidth. The testing software would be available in advance, he said, so students would not be logging in for the first time on testing day.
And the College Board would provide a makeup day for students who had technological failures, he said. “Some percentage of students will have errors that cannot be predicted, and we are preparing for that.”And the College Board would provide a makeup day for students who had technological failures, he said. “Some percentage of students will have errors that cannot be predicted, and we are preparing for that.”
Kitty Bennett contributed research.Kitty Bennett contributed research.