2 The Voyager
News
March 2022
New changes to the SAT aim to improve student experience By ANDREW SHINKLE ‘22 Editor-in-Chief
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n 2024, the SAT will be receiving a host of major revisions that aim to bring the long-running standardized test firmly into the 21st century. On January 25th, the College Board, which administers the test, announced the changes on its website. The headlining change to the SAT is the switch from paper-and-pencil to an all-digital platform, even though students will still be required to take the exam at designated testing centers. Additionally, other changes include a shorter test length (two hours, down from three), calculator usage on both math sections, a revamped reading section that includes a variety of passages with one question each, and a “unique” test for each student. The College Board is no stranger to revising the SAT; it has a long and storied history of changing the test. As the years go by, the SAT evolves to meet the changing times and to reflect the skills that colleges and universities are searching for in prospective students. Three of the most recent revisions to the test occurred in 1994, 2005, and 2016; they seem to be on an eleven year cycle. In 1994, antonym questions were removed, reading passages were made longer, open-ended math problems were added, and calculators were introduced. 2005 brought the essay to the test, which reformatted its grading scale from 1600 to 2400, and analogy questions were also removed. In 2016, the essay was made optional (removed in June 2021), and the grading scale was restored to 1600. With the most recent changes that are set to take effect for international students in 2023, and U.S. students in 2024, student experience and satisfaction seems to
be the priority. Mr. Kevin D’Antonio, an English teacher at Eastern, has taught an SAT English prep course for five years, and he offered his opinion on the test’s new individualized changes. “I think it’s a great idea; I’m interested to see how it shakes out. I think sometimes a lot of things sound really really great, and you build a system to have in place, but when it plays out it doesn’t necessarily go exactly how you want it to at first. Hopefully, it works out the way it’s intended to,” he said. These user-friendly changes to the SAT come at a time of growing nationwide doubt towards the test’s economic fairness and necessity as an admissions filter in higher education. As a result of the pandemic, a large number of schools have become test-optional, and do not require students to submit SAT scores. In fact, the University of California district, a highly-ranked system of public universities, turned test-blind in 2020; this means that they do not consider SAT or ACT scores in their admissions decisions. Despite this trend, Mr. D’Antonio values the SAT as more than a demonstration of academic knowledge. “The things that you are proving about yourself, in doing something like taking a long-form standardized test like the SAT speaks to your dedication to something, and I think that is valuable to schools, in addition to the score,” he said. Even though countless schools have become test-optional, students who submit SAT scores are at more of an advantage than those who do not; in a way, it’s not really an option. If test scores are not considered, then high school grades and GPAs would be some of the primary factors in admissions decisions. However, thousands of people with similar grades (in different classes, curriculums, schools,
The College Board announced the new changes to the SAT on January 25th, and they will take effect in 2024 for students in the U.S. economic circumstances, etc.) are very difficult to choose between. This is where the SAT comes into play; it is a standard tool for judging millions of students against one another. Mr. Tim Hassall, an English teacher at Voorhees Middle School, has taught the HASSSAT SAT prep course for seventeen years. He feels that the SAT is important for students, but that the admissions process will likely never be fair for everyone. “It is a useful tool, it’s just one of those things — will it always be fair? No, but then you can get philosophical about it. [For example,] This kid didn’t go to a good school; how do you account for that in the GPA if he didn’t go to high school at Eastern? Now what? You went to East-
Photo by Andrew Shinkle ‘22/Canva.com
ern; you went to a really good public high school; you have an advantage over a kid who went to a lesser public high school maybe just a few miles away. It’s a neverending thing,” he said. The SAT might not be favored among students in the admissions process, but without it, the alternative might be worse. The new changes to the exam will make it a more favorable, more accessible, and less stressful test for students to take. Going forward, the changes might contribute towards more of a level playing field for students everywhere. “It’s [The SAT is] something that everyone has to do,” Hassall said. “It’s kind of a rite of passage, and I doubt it’ll go away anytime soon.”
Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic Supreme Court nomination
top law enforcement officials have signed a letter addressed to the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary istory could be made once again. Committee — including former NYPD Following Justice Stephen Breyofficial Ben Tucker, who just retired as er’s retirement, Ketanji Brown highest-ranking Black official in the naJackson was nominated by Prestion’s largest department, stated this in a ident Joe Biden to fill his seat, and she letter, “Such direct familiarity with the could be the first Black woman named to experiences and challenges of law enthe nation’s highest court with the nomiforcement enriches her understanding of nation hearing later this month. criminal justice issues.” Growing up in Miami, her uncle was the Through all of these raving reviews one city’s police chief and another uncle was has to wonder, how would she actually a sex crimes detective. Her father was an make her decisions if she were to be apattorney. She studied government at Harproved to the supreme court? According vard while being a student organizer for to President Biden, “Her opinions are civil rights causes, and graduated magalways carefully reasoned, tethered to na cum laude. Attending Harvard Law precedent and demonstrate respect for School, she graduated cum laude and was how the law impacts everyday people,” an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Biden said. “It doesn’t mean she puts her This is only the beginning of what many thumb on the scale of justice one way or would consider an admirable career. the other. But she understands the broadFunnily enough, she clerked for Suer impacts of her decisions, whether it’s preme Court Associate Justice Stephen cases addressing the rights of workers or Breyer, whom she will replace if she is government service. ” confirmed. Jackson has explained that she Though the nomination in itself is historcould never fill Breyer’s shoes, but as a ic, the choice of Jackson will not change young lawyer in the 1990s, she unknowthe ideological makeup of the court. The ingly was on a destined path to continue court currently has six conservative juswhat she has called tices and three liberal his “civility, grace, She could be the first justices, and the retirpragmatism and gening Breyer comes from Black woman named the liberal side, plus she erosity of spirit.” Serving in the U.S. to the nation’s highest has experience working Court of Appeals and for him and most likely court, with the having served eight share similar ideolonomination hearing years as a U.S. Disgies. trict Court Judge for later this month. Though her nominathe District of Cotion has been well relumbia (from 2013 ceived by many, there until June 2021) are two of Jackson’s are still few that criticize the nomination strongest accolades on her bolstering reas being a way for President Biden to fulsume for her nomination, as well as her fill his campaign promise instead of goexperience as a public defender. ing based off of credentials solely. One Not only that, but dozens of the nation’s main criticizer of Ketanji’s nomination By LAURA SILENZIO ‘23 Opinion Editor
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is none other than Fox TV host Tucker Carlson. Similar to rumors Donald Trump spread about Obama’s college grades during the 2012 election, Carlson demanded that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, a Black woman, a nominee for the Supreme Court, prove that she is qualified. He demanded that she show her papers, saying on Fox News, “It might be time for Joe Biden to let us know what Ketanji Brown Jack- Ketanji Brown Jackson was nominated by President son’s LSAT score Biden. Photo from Wikimedia Commons was. How did she ington to ensure her confirmation along do on the LSATs? … It would seem like with the hope that Jackson can garner Americans in a democracy have a right to bipartisan support. Because Democrats know.” have a sure 50 votes in the Senate, many Much to Carlson’s dismay though, even pundits expect Vice President Kamala some conservatives have conceded she Harris to be the tiebreaker for Jackson’s was an excellent pick such as Senator confirmation if needed, but this may not Josh Hawley and former federal judge J. have to happen if Jackson can get huge Michael Luttig. support from a significant number of GOP Of course, the Supreme Court should senators as she did for her District Court be made up of the most qualified, expeappointment in 2013 after being nominatrienced jurists, but there’s no doubt aced by Barack Obama. cording to many endorsements at the top Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Lindof their fields that Jackson is one of them. sey Graham of South Carolina and Susan As for Biden’s take, “For too long, our Collins of Maine all voted for Jackson government, our courts haven’t looked last summer when she was confirmed as like America. I believe it’s time that we a circuit court judge on the US Court of have a court that reflects the full talents Appeals for the District of Columbia, the and greatness of our nation with a nomisecond most important court in the counnee of extraordinary qualifications.” try so it’s more likely than not that the As for the nomination process, Demonomination will end up going through and crats will need all their members in Washhistory will be made.
