>>> ELMS COLLEGE HAS MADE S.A.T. AND A.C.T.
TESTING OPTIONAL AS AN ENTRANCE REQUIREMENT.
WHY OFFICIALS THERE PICKED UP ON THIS RECENT TREND?
I DISCUSS THAT AND MORE WITH JOHN SCULLY, ELMS COLLEGE VICE
PRESIDENT OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT.
>> I'VE BEEN AT ELMS FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
I WANTED TO PUT AT THE TOP OF MY AGENDA, SOMETHING I'M PASSIONATE
ABOUT IS COLLEGE ACCESS.
MAKING SURE ALL STUDENTS WHO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO WELL IN
COLLEGE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO TO COLLEGE.
S.A.T.'S AND A.C.T.S CAN BE A LARGE BARRIER FROM STUDENTS FROM
LOWER SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASSES, DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES.
IT'S NOT A FAIR TEST, IT'S NOT A GOOD WAY TO JUDGE A STUDENT'S
ABILITY TO DO WELL IN COLLEGE.
SO I WENT THROUGH A LARGE PROCESS TO MAKE SURE WE LOOK AT
THE WHOLE STUDENT AND GIVE EVERY STUDENT WHO HAS THE OPPORTUNITY
TO DO WELL A PLACE TO GO TO COLLEGE.
>> YOU TOUCHED ON A LOT OF THINGS I WANT TO COVER THERE SO
I'M GOING TO UNPACK A FEW OF THEM.
ONE BEING A COST BARRIER.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WAY THE TESTS ARE BROKEN DOWN, AT FIRST
BLUSH IT LOOKS RELATIVELY AFFORDABLE, ABOUT $40 TO 50, BUT
THEN YOU START ADDING ON THE ENROLLMENT FEE, THE APPLICATION
FEE RATHER, AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE MORE THAN ONE TEST.
>> RIGHT.
>> OR IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO WHAT MANY STUDENTS DO WHICH IS TAKE
THE TEST MORE THAN ONCE.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS HERE, RIGHT?
>> YES, NO QUESTION.
AND STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE MORE TIMES YOU TAKE THE S.A.T.,
THE BETTER YOU PREPARED YOU ARE, AND THE BETTER YOU DO.
IT'S SOMETHING WE KNOW VERY WELL, STUDENTS AND GUIDANCE
COUNSELORS KNOW.
THEY COME UP WITH WAYS, I DON'T WANT TO SAY TO BEAT THE TEST,
BUT TO DO BETTER.
TAKING IT MULTIPLE TIMES.
TAKING TEST PREP.
>> IT'S KIND OF LIKE A TUTOR OR ADDITIONAL CLASS YOU CAN TAKE,
BUT YOU PAY MONEY FOR IT.
>> EXACTLY.
YOU CAN FIND ONLINE COURSES THAT ARE RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE, BUT
THERE ARE ALSO VERY HIGH PRICED TUTORS WHO WILL SPEND HOURS WITH
YOU, AND NAY DO WORK, BUT THEY'RE EXPENSIVE.
>> IF YOU WANT TO BE COST EFFECTIVE, THEN YOU HAVE TO GET
INTO THE QUESTION OF INTERNET ACCESS, DO YOU HAVE A COMPUTER
AT HOME.
>> EXACTLY.
>> SO FAIRNESS CAN REALLY SEEM LIKE IT'S AVAILABLE TO FOLKS,
BUT THEN MAYBE YOU DIG A LITTLE DEEPER AND NOT SO MUCH.
>> THAT'S EXACTLY IT.
IT'S A COMMON MISCONCEPTION THAT ANYBODY CAN DO WELL, THAT'S NOT
NECESSARILY THE CASE.
BECAUSE COST AS YOU SAID IS A VERY LARGE FACTOR.
>> BUT IF YOU AREN'T USING AN S.A.T.
OR A.C.T.
GENERAL TEST, HOW DO YOU THEN KNOW, OKAY,
WHAT'S THE BASELINE THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ARE COMING IN AT,
WHERE DO WE PLACE YOU?
>> SURE.
YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING ELSE.
THERE ARE MANY PARTS OF A COLLEGE APPLICATION ASIDE FROM
THE S.A.T.
OR A.C.T.
THE BIGGEST ONE IS THE HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPTS.
THESE STUDENTS HAVE SPENT FOUR YEARS IN HIGH SCHOOL, THAT'S A
VERY GOOD INDICATION OF THEIR ACADEMIC ABILITY.
ONE SINGLE TEST THEY SIT FOR, THAT COULD BE A BAD DAY OR GOOD
DAY.
BUT THE G.P.A.
OVER FOUR YEARS IS TRULY WHO THAT STUDENT IS
ACADEMICALLY.
WE CAN SEE THE COURSES THEY'VE TAKEN, THE LEVEL THEY TOOK THEM
AT, AND THE GRADES, ON TOP OF THAT TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS AND
ESSAYS WHICH SHOW US WHO THEY ARE AND WHY THEY WANT TO GO TO
COLLEGE.
>> BACK WHEN THE DINOSAURS ROAMED THE EARTH WHEN I WAS IN
HIGH SCHOOL THERE WAS A LOT OF PRESSURE IN SOPHOMORE, JUNIOR
AND SENIOR YEAR TO CLAMP DOWN, BRING YOUR GRADES UP.
COLLEGES WILL BE LOOKING AT THOSE TWO YEARS.
>> SURE.
>> BUT WITH THE PAUSING OF THE S.A.T.
AS AN ENTRANCE REQUIREMENT, DOES THAT NOW MEAN
YOU WALK IN THE DOOR FRESHMAN YEAR IT'S ON?
>> ALL OF HIGH SCHOOL REALLY MATTERS.
THAT'S BEEN A MISCONCEPTION THROUGHOUT THE COLLEGE PROCESS
THAT ONLY YOUR JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEAR MATTERS.
JUNIOR YEAR IS IMPORTANT, BUT SO IS FRESHMAN YEAR AND SOPHOMORE
YEAR, AND SO IS SENIOR YEAR IF THEY'RE APPLYING LATER.
WHAT WE LOOK FOR IS A PROGRESSION, THAT A STUDENT AS
EITHER MAINTAINED HIGH GRADES OR GOTTEN BETTER.
WE DON'T WANT TO SEE A FRESHMAN WITH STRAIGHT A'S AND THEN GAVE
UP IN JUNIOR YEAR.
YOU WANT TO SEE THE TREND, BUT ALL THE GRADES MATTER.
>> WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD FROM FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE, WHETHER
IT'S STUDENTS COME IN FOR THE 2020 --
WHICH WE SHOULD SAY THIS WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE THE FALL 2020
YEAR.
>> YES, WE'RE SAYING FALL 2020, IT IS EFFECTIVE FOR STUDENTS WHO
ARE APPLYING THIS FALL.
SO OUR RISING SENIORS, YES, THE FALL 2020.
IT'S BEEN MOSTLY REALLY POSITIVE.
EVERYBODY WE SPOKE TO THAT UNDERSTANDS HOW COLLEGE AT
MISSIONS WORKS, HAS APPLAUDED THE DECISION.
WE'VE SENT OUT A LOT OF NOTIFICATIONS TO ALL THE
STUDENTS WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT ELMS, SO THEIR PARENTS AND
GUIDANCE COUNSELORS AND IT'S BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE
FEEDBACK.
BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND THE COST BARRIERS AND THAT THE S.A.T. IS
NOT A GOOD INDICATOR OF COLLEGE SUCCESS.
>> THIS WON'T BE FOR EVERY MAJOR.
WHICH MAJOR WILL YOU STILL REQUIRE THESE TESTS FOR?
>> CORRECT, THE ONE MAJOR IT'S STILL A REQUIREMENT FOR IS
NURSING.
BECAUSE THE S.A.T.
CAN SHOW YOUR ABILITY TO DO WELL ON A
STANDARDIZED TEST, AND TO BE A LICENSED NURSE YOU HAVE TO PAST
A TEST.
SO WE MAINTAIN IT FOR THAT ONE MAJOR, EVERYTHING ELSE IS TEST
OPTIONAL.
>> WHAT ABOUT STUDENTS WHO SAY THEY'RE TAKING S.A.T.S AND
A.C.T.'S BECAUSE THEY'RE LOOKING AT ELMS WHICH ISN'T REQUIRING
THE TEST, BUT MAYBE A HALF DOZEN OTHER SCHOOLS ARE APPLYING TO
REQUIRE THEM.
SO IF THEY HAVE THAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> IT'S UP TO THEM, THAT'S THE OPTIONAL PART.
THERE ARE SOME SCHOOLS THAT WILL NOT LOOK AT YOUR TEST SCORES NO
MATTER WHAT.
WE ARE TRULY OPTIONAL.
SO IF YOU'RE TAKEN THE S.A.T. AND YOU FEEL IT'S A GOOD
REFLECTION OF YOUR ACADEMIC ABILITY, SEND IT IN AND WE'LL
FACTOR THAT INTO TO PROCESS.
IF YOU VICE PRESIDENT TAKEN IT OR DON'T WANT TO TAKEN IT, NO
HARM DONE.
WE WON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS.
I'VE HEARD THAT A LOT FROM STUDENTS AND PARENTS, WELL, IF
YOU DON'T SEND IT IN YOU'LL KNOW THAT WE DID POORLY.
NOT AT ALL, WE WILL SIMPLY DISREGARD IT.
THERE ARE SOME STUDENTS WHO ARE AGAINST S.A.T.'S, SO WE
DISREGARD IT AND IT'S NOT A VAR WANT WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IF WE
DON'T RECEIVE IT.
>> YOU MENTIONED YOU'VE BEEN AT ELMS ABOUT A YEAR NOW, YOU'VE
WORKED FOR MORE THAN 12 YEARS IN A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL
POSITIONS.
THEY'VE HAD DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS FOR A NUMBER OF
YEARS, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'RE KNOWN FOR.
DID THE SEED OF THIS GET PLANTED THERE?
I ALSO KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER COLLEGES IN THE REGION THAT HAVE
GONE TO A SIMILAR MOVE.
>> THAT'S WHERE IT STARTED FOR ME, WHERE I LEARNED THE INS AND
OUTS OF BEING TEST OPTIONAL, HOW IT CAN IMPACT IN A POSITIVE WAY
THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
SO DURING MY TIME THERE I DOVE INTO THE RESEARCH AND DID A LOT
OF BACKGROUND ON IT, THEN I WORKED AT A.I.C., AND THAT'S ONE
OF THE BIG THINGS I DID DURING MY TIME THERE.
WHEN I CAME TO ELMS IT WAS A NATURAL PROGRESSION FOR ME TO DO
SOMETHING I TRULY BELIEVE IN.
IT'S NOT A WAY CONTINUE CREASE APPLICATIONS OR LOWER ACADEMIC
STANDARDS BY ANY MEANS.
IT'S A WAY TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD SO THE RIGHT STUDENTS HAVE
A CHANCE TO GO TO COLLEGE.
>> WHAT DID YOU OBSERVE AT HAMPSHIRE AND A.I.C.
THAT HAD THIS IN PLACE, WHAT DID YOU
OBSERVE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THIS CHANGE?
>> YOUR GET A MORE DIVERSE STUDENT BODY, WHICH IS
OUTSTANDING.
THE FUNNY THING, PEOPLE EXPECTED THE ACADEMIC STANDARDS TO DROP.
THEY ACTUALLY GO UP A LITTLE.
SO THE FIRST COUPLE YEARS AT A.I.C., THE AVERAGE G.P.A.
INCREASED, NOT DECREASED.
SO YOU'RE GETTING STRONGER STUDENTS FROM A MORE DIVERSE
BACKGROUND.
SO IT'S VERY POSITIVE, AND RETENTION AND ATTRITION RATES
STAYED WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.
>> I LOOKED BACK AT THE HISTORY OF TEST PREP IN GENERAL.
BACK IN THE 1800'S COLLEGE ADMISSIONS WERE TAKEN AT THE
SCHOOL YOU WANTED TO ATTEND, GIVEN BY THAT SCHOOL.
SO IT COULD HAVE BEEN A QUESTION OF AFFLUENCE, IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE
THE MONEY TO TRAVEL.
AND THEN I WOULD ASSUME THAT THIS MODEL OF TESTING S.A.T.,
A.C.T.
WAS MEANT TO SORT OF LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD?
>> IT WAS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
IF YOU LOOK AT ANY STANDARDIZED TESTING THAT'S ALWAYS THE
RHETORIC USED, IS IT'S USED TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD.
IF YOU LOOK AT IN AN ABSTRACT IN A BUBBLE IT KIND OF MAKES SENSE,
EVERYBODY TAKES THE SAME TEST IN THE SAME WAY.
BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OUTSIDE INFLUENCERS THERE.
AND IT'S A KNOWN QUANTITY.
IF YOU CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BEAT SOMETHING WITH ENOUGH
RESOURCES THROWN AT IT, THE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD GOES AWAY.