HARTFORD – Gov. Dan Malloy announced that the U.S. Department of Education will now allow high school juniors to take the SAT instead of the 11th grade Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium.
Malloy made the request in order to reduce standardized testing required for public high school students.
For the 2015-2016 school .year, the SAT will be used instead of the SBAC, and will be free for all Connecticut students. The SAT typically costs more than $50. Malloy said lower income students who could not to take the exam due to the expense will now be able to do so. The SAT is often requisite for admission to higher education institutions.
“While exams that test college readiness are essential to helping us gauge where we are as a state and help guide instruction, we are doing our part to mitigate over-testing – a common concern among parents. There’s a balance to be struck, and we’re working to reach it,” said Malloy. “ I thank the U.S. Department of Education and Secretary Duncan for approving our request and helping us move forward with an approach that allows our state to adapt with the changing times.”
Federal law requires states to administer end-of-year tests to all students in grades 3 through 8, as well as in high school. The SBAC will continue being used for third- through eighth-graders for now. A state committee will reconvene in September to discuss if that should change.
