The switch that the Michigan Department of Education made from the SAT to the ACT is a major inconvenience.
For one thing, the switch initially took place for the State’s own selfish reason – it was cheaper – instead of taking the well-being of the students into consideration.
It’s a major inconvenience for students, teachers and the state, but students inparticular. Juniors scheduled to take the ACT in 2016 will have more work to do. Some of these students have been preparing for the ACT for years, a test completely different from the SAT. They wilI now only have a year to prepare for the new test.
The switch is an inconvenience to the teachers that have to get the students ready for the SAT too. For one, they have to receive training on a new test and two, they have an inadequate amount of time and money to prepare.
When you take a look at the overall cost of the switch, the state will probably dish out more than it’s saving.
As a method of compensating for the sudden change, the College Board is offering free preparation for the SAT in the form of free practice test materials and access to online test practice. This is a nice touch, but not enough. Students and teachers still need to do the work to retool for a new test.
All in all, the Michigan Department of Education should have kept the ACT, the traditional test for students who live in the Midwest.