Fee Reduction Info for AP/IB Testing

From SPS, information on low-cost AP/IB testing:

SAT: Next Wednesday, Seattle Public Schools will be administering the SAT to all juniors during a regular school day at no cost. The SAT normally carries a fee of at least $52.50.

The district is offering this free SAT Day to open higher education opportunities to all students. More info here.

 (Editor's note: as well, the district is offering for scores to be sent to colleges/universities (up to 4) for free AND students get lunch and snacks.  This is really great but boy, I wish I had gotten this info sooner to alert more parents.)

AP and IB: The Test Fee Reduction Program for Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge Capstone program exams, gives students from low-income families a significant break on fees for taking these tests. This year's fee of $12 per exam is down by one-third from last year and applies to an unlimited number of AP exams. More information at www.k12.wa.us/AdvancedPlacement/testfee.aspx.

Comments

NoSBAC said…
I have to wonder whether of not SAT tests are free to get more students to take the test, and, then, compare SAT to SBAC.
2/20/15, 4:46 PM
Melissa Westbrook said…
I have to wonder where they got the money. I'll have to ask.
2/20/15, 6:30 PM
GreyWatch said…
I may be wrong on this, but I think they aren't paying for this. it's free for juniors across the country. Can't remember where I read about this. May have to do with the SAT rolling out a new test?
2/21/15, 8:43 AM
Unknown said…
Greywatch, I google around and didn't find any evidence for that (certainly not on the College Board site). Spokane says they are one of a "handful" of cities offering it for free and are paying for it themselves. SPS doesn't identify who us paying.

Maureen
2/21/15, 10:08 PM
Unknown said…
Greywatch, I google around and didn't find any evidence for that (certainly not on the College Board site). Spokane says they are one of a "handful" of cities offering it for free and are paying for it themselves. SPS doesn't identify who us paying.

Maureen
2/21/15, 10:09 PM
Unknown said…
Tried to edit my typos and ended up duplicating. I should know better than to post with my phone!
Maureen
2/21/15, 10:11 PM
Lynn said…
I found it. It's part of the Race to the Top grant.
2/21/15, 11:21 PM
mirmac1 said…
Yes Lynn I remember that from the RTTT grant. Of course I'm sure CCER will now have access to the test results, of course. And once the grant's gone we're right back where we were.
2/23/15, 8:56 AM
Anonymous said…
Nathan Hale has been telling us about the free SAT test since before Christmas. As a parent of a junior, we received a ticket in the mail for our student. Reminders have been sent to junior parents through Hale Mail and also posted in the Daily Bulletin.

Personally, I think this is great so while we are opting out of common core test in April, our junior will be taking advantage of this free test.

HP
2/23/15, 12:59 PM
Anonymous said…
Here is the latest email received:

Good Morning Junior Families!

Wednesday is the School Day SAT.

All juniors should arrive at 7:45. Go to the Gym.
It is very important to bring:
The admission ticket that came in the mail, ID, #2 pencils and a calculator
Snacks will be provided during the breaks
A sack lunch is available after the test
RELAX!


HP
2/23/15, 1:12 PM
Anonymous Donor? said…
Who is paying for SPS students to take SAT?

My student informed me that an "anonymous" donor has stepped forward and there were classroom discussions whether or not the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is paying for the test.

2/23/15, 8:35 PM
Anonymous Donor? said…
Well, I just read posts and Lynn supplied the link. It appears the "free" SAT is part of the Road Map Project:

Project 7: Adopt the College Board College & Career Readiness Pathway ($3,245,836)
Project Summary: This project will provide the College Board College and Career Readiness Pathway (ReadiStep, PSAT/NMSQT, and SAT) for students in all seven districts, free of charge, during the school day. Educators in each district will use information from the assessments to create personalized plans to prepare students for college and career pathways.
Project Lead: Jennie Flaming, jflaming@psesd.org, 425-917-7835

Who gave the OK for this project???
2/23/15, 8:43 PM
Anonymous Donor? said…
If the "free" SAT test is part of the Road Map Project...shall we expect a certain entity to use test results to destroy public education?
2/23/15, 8:45 PM
Melissa Westbrook said…
Well, Road Map doesn't just have the money. So I think a good guess is Gates. Maybe it's largess on their part but they never just "do" anything so there may be something to their end game.
2/23/15, 9:08 PM
Confirmed said…
ALL juniors have the opportunity to take the SAT for free. Funding has been provided via Race To The Top funding.
2/24/15, 2:14 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday Open Thread

The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested.  It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio.  (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Read more

Breaking It Down: Where the District Might Close Schools

Update 2: an absolutely fabulous interactive map made by parent Beth Day (@thebethocracy on Twitter - she covers Board meetings and is fun to read).   end of update    Update 1: Mea culpa, I did indeed get Decatur and Thornton Creek mixed up. Thanks to all for the correction. end of update   I suspect some who read this post will be irate. Why do this? Because the district seems very hellbent on this effort with no oversight skid marks from the Board.    To clearly state - I do not believe that closing 20 schools is a good idea. I think they hit on 20 because they thought it might bring in the most savings. But the jury is still out on the savings because the district has not shown its work nor its data. I suspect closing schools and THEN leasing/renting them is the big plan but that means the district really has to keep the buildings up.   But this district, with its happy talk about "well-resourced schools" is NOT acknowledging the pain and yes, grief, that is to come fro
Read more

MEETING CANCELED - Hey Kids, A Meeting with Three(!) Seattle Schools Board Directors

 Update 2: So I have seen a message from President Liza Rankin on why she, Director Evan Briggs, and Director Michelle Sarju backed out of this meeting.  In a nutshell: - She says there was no organization to the meeting which is just not true. They had a moderator lined up and naturally the board members could have set parameters for what to discuss, length of meeting, etc. All that was fleshed out. - She also claimed that if the meeting was PTA sponsored, they needed to have liability insurance to use the school space. Hello? PTAs use school space all the time and know they have to have this insurance.  - She seems to be worried about the Open Public Meetings law. Look, if she has a meeting in a school building on a non-personnel topic, it should be an open meeting. It appears that Rankin is trying, over and over, to narrow the window of access that parents have to Board members. She even says in her message - "...with decisions made in public." Hmmm - She also says that th
Read more