District to offer free SAT exam to all juniors during class on Wednesday

For the third consecutive year, the Houston Independent School District will be offering the SAT free of charge to all juniors during class on Wednesday, February 27 in an effort to eliminate barriers, such as work obligations or transportation limitations, which have historically excluded some students from taking this important step toward college readiness.

“At HISD it is our priority to foster a strong college-bound culture and provide our students all the resources available to help them be competitive college applicants and successful graduates,” HISD Superintendent Terry Grier said.  “By enabling students to take the SAT during class, we are helping them stay on the path to college.”

Since HISD began hosting SAT School Day in Spring 2011, the district has already seen significant results.  The number of HISD students taking the SAT has nearly doubled in just two years, and the number of graduates scoring at college-ready levels on the SAT has also increased.  The number of HISD students receiving a score of 500 or better has increased by 26 percent in reading, 41 percent in math and 20 percent in writing.  Scoring a 500 or higher on the SAT is a strong indicator of the student’s college-readiness and is a reliable predictor of a student’s likelihood of success during the first year of college and beyond.

“The SAT is a requirement for most colleges and universities, so by offering it for free to our juniors, we give them the opportunity to start preparing for a higher education early on,” said Assistant Superintendent of College and Career Readiness Alan Summers.  “In addition, our School Day SAT collaboration with College Board breaks down barriers for our students by allowing them an opportunity to take the SAT test in a familiar environment with no need for transportation to and from a testing site and at no cost to a student’s family.”

The cost of the SAT is normally $50 and is only offered on Saturday mornings.  In Texas only seven districts host SAT School Day.