Dr. Sheila Griffith explains...
TIP: SAT vs ACT 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 2
TIP: SAT vs ACT Short Answer: It Depends! 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 3
The ACT 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 4
Major Changes to the ACT The 2 biggest changes to the ACT are: The format of the essay Huge change Does not affect TIP students Scoring The addition of sub-scores for STEM and ELA The introduction of 4 sub-scores for the Essay: Ideas and analysis Development and support Organization Language use and conventions 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 5
The SAT 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 6
Major Changes: Scoring on the SAT Old SAT Score is 600 2400 3 sections: Math, Reading, Writing are 200 to 800 each New SAT Score is 400 1600 2 sections: Math and Verbal are 200 to 800 each Verbal is a combined Reading and Writing Score Subscores will be provided 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 7
Major Changes: Verbal Sub-Scores Sub-scores from Writing: Expression of Ideas Standard English Conventions Sub-scores from Reading and Writing: Words in Context Command of Evidence 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 8
Major Changes: Math Sub-Scores Heart of Algebra Problem Solving and Data Analysis Passport to Advanced Math 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 9
Major Changes: Cross Test Scores Analysis in History/Social Studies Analysis in Science Questions found in all 4 sections of the exam 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 10
Major Changes: No Penalty Old SAT 5 choices for each multiple choice Raw score loses ¼ point for each wrong multiple choice New SAT 4 choices for each multiple choice (ACT has 5 choices) NO wrong answer penalty So, now SAT, ACT, and PSAT have no penalty 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 11
Major Changes: No Penalty Did this make it easier? Psychologically, yes. But, it means students are more likely to waste time on questions they should have just skipped. Realistically, no. College Board eliminated the most obvious wrong answer (of course). 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 12
Major Changes: Timing SAT 3 hours 50 minutes (with essay) (was 3h45) 3 hours (without essay) ACT 3 hours 35 minutes (with essay) (was 3h25) 2 hours 55 minutes (without essay) So... cannot choose based on time 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 13
Major Changes: Longer Sections SAT now has 5 longer sections From 25 to 65 minutes each Was 10 short sections (from 10 to 25 minutes) SAT ACT Math 80 minutes 60 minutes (2 sections) Reading 65 minutes 35 minutes Grammar 35 minutes 45 minutes Science --- 35 minutes Total 3 hours 2 hours 55 minutes 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 14
Major Changes: Longer Sections Longer sections mean students have to stay focused longer. There is no mental break or opportunity to switch gears. Good thing our students are amazing at staying on task for long periods of time. Right? 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 15
Major Changes: Complexity Old SAT vs ACT: ACT = the (old) SAT Plus New SAT vs ACT: Very similar in terms of: Complexity (depth and range of concepts tested) Required amount of reading/words on test 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 16
Major Changes: Formatting Old SAT includes more distinct question types Reading has passage-based and Sentence Completions Writing has 3 different formats for grammar questions, 2 of which are stand-alone sentences New SAT simplifies formatting Math still has multiple choice and Grid Ins All Reading questions are passage based All Writing questions are passage based Passage-based = more reading... 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 17
Major Changes: Order of Difficulty Old SAT With the exception of Reading Comp, questions are organized according to Order of Difficulty New SAT Easy then medium then hard No Order of Difficulty discernible (like the ACT) Students cannot use location to anticipate the difficulty level of the question 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 18
New SAT Content Overview: Math The Math definitely got more complex (like ACT) There is a lot less focus on middle school math... But that just means there is a higher level application that requires mastery of the middle school math concepts. Math is now divided into 4 major categories 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 19
Math Categories 1. Heart of Algebra Pre-Algebra and linear equations/inequalities SAT & ACT both test this Only ACT tests counting methods 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 20
Math Categories 2. Advanced Algebra Algebra II... quadratics, polynomials, functions, parabolas, graphing circles Blue = new to SAT Only SAT tests long division of expressions Only ACT tests logs & matrices 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 21
Math Categories 3. Problem Solving & Data Analysis Descriptive statistics, probability, ratios, rates, percents, graphs SAT & ACT both test this SAT has more graphs Only SAT tests standard deviation and growth (linear and exponential) 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 22
Math Categories 4. Additional Topics Geometry & Trigonometry Lots more on ACT Only ACT tests proofs and theorems Complex numbers 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 23
New SAT: Math Observations There are 2 math sections: 25 min and 55 min 55 min = calculator 25 min = NO calculator Do your students currently take timed math tests with no calculator? ACT math: Only 1 section Allows the calculator 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 24
New SAT: Math Observations More Grid Ins Old SAT: 10/54 (19%) New SAT: 13/58 (22%) Students tend to perform significantly worse on Grid Ins than on multiple choice Is that because we tend to give them multiple choice so when they see a Grid In they just skip it? ACT Math: no grid-ins (all multiple choice) 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 25
New SAT: Observations A lot more graphs... all over the new SAT test Graphs show up in math, of course, but there are lots more than there ever were before Graphs show up in Writing and Reading too Reading: at least 2 of the passages have 1 or 2 graphs Writing: 1 or more graphics in 1 or more passages Questions specifically ask students to interpret the graphs ACT: has the Science section, which is all complex graphs 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 26
New SAT: Observations More words... all over the test Every reading question is associated with a passage Every grammar question is associated with a passage A lot more math problems are written as real-world word problems (new SAT is about the same as ACT) So that s great news for all your students who love word problems and had no problems with timing on the SAT Reading before 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 27
Reading 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 28
New SAT: Reading Observations More words and vocabulary Reading comp passage sources include Jane Austin, Emma (1815) disposition, vex, indistinct, nominal Tina Saey, Lessons from the Torpid (2012) gluttony, severe, ailments, venture, rouse, loll Andrew Carnegie, Wealth (1889) harmonious, retainers, deplored, squalor, mode ACT: also includes dense passages with tough vocab 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 29
New SAT: Reading Observations Tougher words... Here s a sampling from Here s 1 passage (572 Tougher words) out words of 5 from... a single sample SAT ha test released... so far Here s a sampling releas Extinct Aspect Disdain Resignation Mantle Grim Enormous Conjure Biodiversity Divert Great Befell Engrossing Restore Implicit Fundamental Diminish Anomaly Irreversible Wherewithal Curiosity Awe Flamboyant Dwindling Invoke Resuscitate Advocate 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 30
New SAT: Reading Observations Plus, each passage has 2 specific questions on vocab. (ACT has these questions too) That s 10 out of 52 questions (19%) that say: In line 43, great most nearly means... These questions tend to test the sophisticated meanings of words with multiple meanings 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 31
New SAT: Reading Observations So, do students still need to study vocab? The real question is WHEN and HOW do you want your students to learn the vocab? systematically.... throughout school... via direct instruction and on-level, challenging reading crammed... in the few weeks prior to the exam 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 32
New SAT: Reading Observations Bottom line: students with better vocabulary perform better on the test. 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 33
New SAT: Reading Observations Don t think of vocab as a waste of time. This vocabulary is the same vocabulary that will be encountered in college-level reading. If the goal is college readiness, this level of vocabulary is requisite, not recreational. 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 34
New SAT: Reading Observations The Reading section gets new question types Category 1: Information and Ideas Both SAT and ACT ask Big Picture, detail, and inference questions Only SAT asks: Vocab in context 2 per passage Evidence 2 per passage Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question? Blue = New 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 35
New SAT: Reading Observations Category 2: Rhetoric Both SAT and ACT ask Purpose Only SAT asks: Arguments Textual structure Word choice (specifically as it relates to tone) Point of View Blue = New 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 36
New SAT: Reading Observations Category 3: Synthesis Both SAT and ACT have paired passages These are new on the ACT Only SAT asks about charts associated with the passages Samples: Which statement best summarizes the information in the graph? Blue = New According to the graph, which statement is true? 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 37
Grammar 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 38
New SAT: Grammar Observations Grammar ramps up Blue = New 45% of the questions from Mechanics Punctuation commas semicolons, colons, apostrophes ACT has been testing punctuation for years Grammar Subject/Verb agreement Pronoun/Antecedent agreement Sentences: Complete? Run-on? Comma splice? Coordination and subordination Verb tense, mood, and voice Modifiers Parallelism Comparisons 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 39
New SAT: Grammar Observations SAT and ACT both test frequently confused words Think It s, its... their, there, they re Ascent, assent, accent... amount, number Access, excess... accept, except... less, fewer Do, due, dew... decent, descent, dissent The Knowsys Homophones list has 300 sets! 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 40
New SAT: Grammar Observations 55% of the questions from Expression of Ideas Both SAT and ACT test organization, development, and effective language use Understanding the grammar AND the tone and flow Knowing when a statement should be added or deleted and why Recognizing a passage or paragraph to flow better This is higher level thinking in the context of grammar. 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 41
New SAT: Grammar Observations Old SAT: 49 questions in 35 minutes = 43 seconds each Only 6 questions are passage-based New SAT: 44 questions in 35 minutes = 48 seconds each ALL 44 questions are passage-based ACT 75 questions in 45 minutes = 36 seconds each All 75 questions are passage-based 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 42
Timing 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 43
Major Changes: Timing Wrap-Up Old SAT New SAT ACT Math 1 min 18 sec/question 1 min 23 sec/question -More word problems -More complex problems -Higher-level content Reading 1 min 3 sec/question 1 min 15 sec/question -More words to read -Tougher vocab -Tougher question types Grammar 43 sec/question 48 sec/question -More words to read -More complex questions -More big picture questions So... more time per question... right???? 1 min/question 53 sec/question 36 sec/question 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 44
Major Changes: Timing Wrap-Up Old SAT New SAT ACT Math 1 min 18 sec/question 1 min 23 sec/question -More word problems -More complex problems -Higher-level content Reading 1 min 3 sec/question 1 min 15 sec/question -More words to read -Tougher vocab -Tougher question types Grammar 43 sec/question 48 sec/question -More words to read -More complex questions -More big picture questions 1 min/question 53 sec/question 36 sec/question 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 45
Overall Impressions 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 46
New SAT: Overall Impressions The new SAT is more like the ACT now More sophisticated Broader range of content It requires more concentration (longer sections) More graphs... In math, reading, and writing SAT graphs are less complicated and detailed than the ACT Science graphs 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 47
New SAT: Overall Impressions Words on new SAT and the ACT: Reading: both have about 3000 words The equivalent of 12 DS pages. Grammar: both have about 2000 words The equivalent of 8 DS pages. Math: more than 50% is word/wordy problems 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 48
New SAT: Overall Impressions Math on the SAT More multi-step problems (4+ steps) An entire no-calculator section (20 problems) More grid-ins (13 = 22% of math) 0 on ACT More than 50% word/wordy problems 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 49
New SAT: Overall Impressions SAT Grammar looks like ACT Grammar Both test punctuation and rhetoric Both use a passage-based approach Both require a big picture perspective to answer questions about tone, word choice, structure of the text, etc. 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 50
New SAT: Overall Impressions SAT Reading looks like ACT Reading Both have 1 set of paired passages Both of long, complex passages Both have college-ready vocabulary threaded throughout Only SAT has at least 2 (of 5) passages with graphs and questions about the data 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 51
New SAT: Overall Impressions Ultimately, the changes in the test are for the best... But there s definitely a new hurdle for these students to jump. The more clearance they have... the more successful they should be in college! 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 52
TIP SAT or TIP ACT? Good question! To qualify for Duke TIP scholar and higher levels, students only have to meet the qualifying score in 1 scored section. So, you can qualify in math but bomb verbal Or, you can qualify in science alone 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 53
TIP SAT or TIP ACT? Based on the single qualifying section, we ve put together a chart to help students/parents make the decision You can share the Knowsys TIP flow chart with students/parents when you send out their invitations to participate in TIP 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 54
3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 55
3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 56
3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 57
3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 58
Where can you get that handout? Go to our website: www.myknowsys.com/free Email us: info@ktprep.com Don t forget: Knowsys has TIP SAT and ACT Workshops and Course materials 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 59
New SAT: Knowsys is Ready! Knowsys has updated our SAT, PSAT, and ACT materials. We re ready to help you help your students succeed. info@ktprep.com 3/28/2016 Knowsys Educational Services, LLC. 60