Dive Brief:
- The market for standardized testing used for the purpose of federal accountability is worth $700 million annually, and with more higher ed institutions move away from test-based admissions, the makers of the SAT and ACT exams are looking to K-12.
- Montana is now using the ACT, and Colorado uses the SAT, with an additional seven other states using one of the two tests to meet federal requirements.
- Critics point out that the tests are not designed to be used for the purpose of federal accountability, and therefore their results cannot be accepted as 100% accurate.
Dive Insight:
Back in August, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Arkansas scrapped Common Core-aligned state-designed tests in order to use college entrance exams for federal accountability measures. Since then, the trend has spread. Under the Every Student Succeed Act, however, states must proceed with caution.
For example, Kentucky and Florida are considering bills that might not meet accountability standards under ESSA. In Florida, Senate Bill 1360 calls for the ACT test to be used to test students in grades 3-8 starting in the 2016-17 school year. The state would give districts three options: the ACT, PSAT or NMSQT, or SAT for high school testing. Under ESSA, one single test is supposed to be used statewide.
In Kentucky, critics have lamented Senate Bill 1's efforts to redefine the way that low-performing schools are identified, how graduation rates are used to calculate school performance, and how what goes on school report cards might not meet federal standards.
More generally, assessment experts question the use of the ACT and SAT tests for accountability because they are supposed to predict a student's college success, not measure their college readiness.