The Preliminary SAT is generally considered a test that establishes well-earned bragging rights and shows colleges that the students who take it – and do well – are prepared for some serious academics. However, due to a lack of planning and some major miscommunication, students in one Texas school district took the exam in an ice arena.
It wasn’t simply that the cold was a problem. The condensation from a room full of nervous teens caused the condensation to settle on chairs and floors. The result? Many of the students walked out, unable to complete the exam: it was probably like sitting an exam on the edge of a lake in winter. Those who stayed dealt with cold, wet fee t… and worse.
As a former teacher, I can tell you that serious students set a lot of store in these tests. The most dedicated students start preparing for the PSAT while still in middle school. Often, parents will invest in tutoring and test preparation, because the test itself carries some clout, and you don’t get more than once chance to do it right.
Here’s why it’s a big deal: the test is only offered once a year. One day to take it, and one chance to score is all you get. There are no do-overs.
When A Test Isn’t Just A Test
The PSAT is regarded by some to be little more than practice for the SAT, the college entrance exam offered to high school students all over the country by the College Board each fall and spring. However, the PSAT is increasingly more than that. It’s the gateway to the National Merit Scholarship Program, which means major bragging rights and a scholarship to help give students a leg up on the competition.
For those unfortunate 258 students from Wichita Falls High School, their leg up turned into soggy seats and wet shoes, and a lost shot at the National Merit Scholarship.
Someone dropped the ball on this in a big way, from the outset. When hundreds of students over the expected limit enrolled for the exam, some last-minute rescheduling took place. Since the original building (an agriculture building) was ruled out, authorities decided that they’d rent out a different facility for the students from a larger school. The rest were stuck at the ice arena. They really didn’t seem to have the slightest idea where to put these kids, and had no Plan B.
The school principals and school district itself don’t seem to have taken the test seriously. The idea that one might spend less time planning for test venues than for your school’s senior prom is absurd, but it seems that this is pretty much what happened.
Let’s hope the College Board steps up and works out a solution with school officials for the kids’ sake. After all, the performance by these students on the exam reflects on both the school and the College Board – and for the sake of P.R., if nothing else, they ought to do right by these students and find a solution.