Illinois’ board of education decided Monday to administer a redesigned SAT test to its high school students instead of the Partnership for the Achievement of Readiness for College and Careers (or PARCC) standardized test, according to the Associated Press.
The board said it was responding to concerns from parents, administrators, and unions that the state administers too many tests. At least 10 percent of students in Chicago opted out of the PARCC exam last year, according to the AP.
The state also said administering the SAT also would provide equitable access to a college entrance exam required for many colleges’ admissions applications.
The state’s 3rd through 8th grade students will still take PARCC next year.
As my colleague Catherine Gewertz wrote earlier this year, several states are likely to make similar moves since the recently passed Every Student Succeeds Act allows for states to measure high school achievement with college-entrance exams instead of standards-based assessments.
Several states have tossed PARCC and Smarter Balanced exams altogether in recent years amid politicians’ accusations that the tests are too closely aligned with the Common Core State Standards, according to an Education Week examination.