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CNN Live Today

College Board to Make Major Changes to SAT

Aired June 27, 2002 - 14:55   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's just what school-age kids didn't want to hear over summer vacation. There's going to be a new SAT exam. The College Board says it's making major changes to the college entrance exam.

And our Maria Hinojosa is live from New York with more on that.

What kind of changes are in store, Maria?

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, when you think of the College Board, you don't usually think of this as a place where a lot of commotion. But let me tell you, today there's been a lot of commotion, a lot of attention, and that's because the changes to the SATs that have been just approved are the most sweeping in the SAT history of 76 years.

It's the most widely used college entrance exam in the world. And we know that there are a lot of high school students who are probably off of school and they want to know what these changes are. So let's go straight to them.

The biggest change is that there will be an addition of a writing test. A 20 to 30-minute essay that students will have to take as part of the test. Analogies will be dropped from the verbal testing.

Quantitative comparisons in math will be eliminated. There will be an addition of more critical reading, an addition of more difficult math -- just what people wanted to hear. More of Algebra II.

Now, the University of California, about a year and a half ago, threatened to stop using the SATs entirely because they said that they didn't really reflect what and how students learn. They are saying that they will keep the SATs now, that they are pleased with these changes. Joining me now is the former governor of West Virginia, Governor Gaston Caperton, who is the president of the College Board.

Governor Caperton, there are people who say that no matter what, that the SATs are still biased. That they're still biased, because overwhelmingly white, young men test better than any others. How do these changes address that?

GASTON CAPERTON, PRES, COLLEGE BOARD: There is not a bias on this test. There has never been a bias. The reflection of those changes in tests all reflect opportunity for an education. The work that was done in California, that's what it said, that every test shows those same differentials in test scores.

But it isn't because it's a biased test, nor are the other tests biased. It's just a relationship between equal opportunity in getting an education and getting ready for the test. That's the bias.

HINOJOSA: So, at this point now -- thank you, Governor.

At this point right now, people are saying that they appreciate these changes. A lot of students are out here saying they don't want any test at all -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Maria Hinojosa, thank you very much.

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