Angela Leiding, a vice principal at WKHS, offered her best advice for preparing for the SAT and OST: “For both tests, it’s important to prioritize sleep, proper nutrition, and stress management leading up to test day. Develop a study plan, practice test-taking strategies like time management and process of elimination, and find ways to reduce test anxiety.” Test-taking can be stressful for many students, however by perfecting these actions, great results are more likely to follow.
Jennifer Dominach, the SAT Test Day ToolKit (manages the administration of the SAT on test day) shared the significance of both the SAT and OST, affirming that “For Juniors, the SAT gives colleges a standardized evaluation to aid in the admission process.” Dominach also shared that “OSTs are required tests for high school graduation.” A junior’s SAT score will be an addition to their college application and lend colleges increased information about that student’s academics. For the OSTs, Math 1 and ELA 10 both demonstrate competency, and students need to earn a 684 or better. The other tests (Biology, US government, US History) are all chances to earn graduation seals and require scores of 700 or better.
Aric Thomas, the principal of Worthington Kilbourne High School, shared that “This is the first year students are taking the SAT instead of the ACT.” However, Thomas predicts “that the SAT results are similar, if not a bit better. The reason is that our students have taken the PSAT for many years and I think aligning with the SAT will be advantageous for our students.” As for the OSTs, the students taking the exams at WKHS passage rate is 58.7% in Math 1, 57.2% in Math 2, 83.7% in Biology, 76.2% in ELA 2, 83.8% in US History, and 82.6% in US Government (Data from Principal Thomas). However, it is worth noting that many WKHS students take Math 1 in 8th grade, therefore the passage rate for WKHS students is much higher.
[Test statistics]
The SAT will take place on Tuesday, March 11 for all WKHS juniors, and the OSTs will take place the week of April 7th. The schedule for the SAT is listed below:
TESTING BELL SCHEDULE
Testing: 8:40 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Lunch: 11:30 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.
Period 5: 12:25 p.m. – 1:05 p.m.
Period 6: 1:10 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.
Period 7: 1:55 p.m. – 2:35 p.m.
Period 8: 2:40 p.m. – 3:20 p.m
As testing makes its yearly return, students need to keep their Chromebooks charged and continue to follow the school email for important testing information, as well as take the necessary actions to prepare for the long days. As claimed by Dominach: “Take the tests seriously and do your best work.”
