SAT Changes May Not Level Playing Field for Low-Income Students

Major changes are coming to the SAT.

Officials from the College Board, the organization behind the test, announced this week that the new SAT will have an optional essay, questions more in line with what high school students learn and will return to a 1600-point scale, among other changes.

The changes are an attempt to more fairly assess students and make the test less susceptible to expensive coaching services that give wealthier students an advantage, David Coleman, the president of the College Board, said while announcing the changes in a speech at the South By Southwest Education conference in Austin, Texas.

In addition, students from low-income families will receive fee waivers to apply to four colleges for free. Free online test preparation from Khan Academy, an educational website, will be available for all students.

Education experts are divided on whether these changes will help students from low-income backgrounds perform better on the exam.

"There is still a strong, direct relationship between family income and test scores," says Bob Schaeffer, public education director of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing. Schaeffer says that he does not expect that the proposed changes to the SAT will narrow the achievement gap between low-income and wealthier students.

Although test preparation resources will now be available to all students for free, Schaeffer says there will always be a market for individualized and intensive test preparation -- which he says is far superior to what the College Board will be offering.

[Learn about what parents can do to help students excel on the SAT.]

Diana Lebeaux, a curriculum development manager with The Boys' Club of New York, says the fact that the College Board is offering test preparation signifies that there is still a way to prepare for the SAT and that ultimately low-income students will be at a disadvantage.The organization offers SAT prep to predominantly minority and low-income boys at a nominal cost, among other services.

While she thinks some of changes proposed by the College Board are a step toward leveling the playing field, she doesn't think there will be a big change in removing barriers that prevent low-income students from going to college.

"I think it will show the same inequalities," she says. "I think it will expose the same problems with the educational system not equally preparing students for entry into college."

[Read about how to choose between taking the SAT or the ACT.]

While there are some areas of concern, there is a lot to be excited about with the proposed changes to the SAT, says Bradley Erford, a test developer who researches the use of tests in education and counseling.

SAT prep programs give well-off students an advantage and the partnership with Khan Academy will give high-quality test preparation to all students, says Erford, who is also a professor in the school counseling program at Loyola University Maryland.

He is pleased with the College Board's decision to eliminate the deduction of points for incorrect answers which, he says, goes against what students are taught in school from an early age -- to take risks and give each question your best shot.

It is important to remember that standardized test scores are used in college admissions because they allow admissions officers to compare the performance of students from all different backgrounds, Erford says.

Education experts do agree on one thing: Only time will tell if these changes will make a difference for all students.

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Alexandra Pannoni is an education intern at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at apannoni@usnews.com.