ORANGE, CA (October 9, 2018) – Approximately 8,000 Orange Unified School District (OUSD) high school students will take the SAT college entrance exam or the PSAT practice exam when the school district holds its third annual SAT School Day on Wednesday, October 10, 2018. A partnership between OUSD and the College Board makes it possible for all OUSD high school students to take the exams and access free online resources and a personalized study plan through the College Board’s own partnership with Khan Academy.
SAT School Day was introduced by OUSD in 2016 after parent feedback on its Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) indicated strong parent and student desire for additional college readiness tools. Providing students with the access and ability to take the exams at school, as part of their regular school day, has been positively received by parents and students alike.
All twelfth-grade students will take the SAT while the ninth through eleventh-grade students will take the PSAT. Taking the PSAT allows students to familiarize themselves with the college entrance exam and learn how they might perform. Each student’s score report helps identify their strengths and weaknesses and focus-in on areas that will potentially raise their scores. For the eleventh-grade students who take the PSAT, those who receive qualifying scores will also be eligible for consideration and recognition in the National Merit Scholarship program.
“OUSD is committed to providing its students with opportunities and resources that promote and facilitate college and career readiness,” said OUSD Superintendent Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D. “One of the ways that we deliver on that commitment is by dedicating time for our high school students to take the SAT or PSAT, as a community, and at no cost to them or their families. It’s an experience that not only prepares and positions them to attend college, but it can also open doors for students who may not otherwise take the SAT or envision college as part of their futures.”
Villa Park High School Principal Ken Miller, Ed.D., can attest to the value and importance of SAT Day and its ability to change the plans of some students after high school.
“Over the past three years, I have had a number of students graduate from Villa Park and then enroll in college as a direct result of their taking the entrance exam on SAT Day,” said Miller. “Some of them didn’t believe they were cut out for college and they weren’t intending to take the exam; others faced barriers to taking the exam on Saturdays, when it is traditionally administered. By making the SAT and PSAT exams part of a regular school day, OUSD is sending an important message to the students that the District supports them and believes that college admission is within their reach. I am grateful that OUSD and the College Board continues to provide my students with this invaluable opportunity."