PSAT - Is this Part of the Instructional Program?

Will your child be sitting for the PSAT on Wednesday Oct. 14 in a Montgomery County Public School High School?



Apparently, some schools are experiencing issues with paying for the tests. Here is an edited e-mail that appeared on one school's parent list.

Next week our 10th and 11th grade students will be taking the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test. In years past, MCPS paid for all students to take the test. This year, because of budget restrictions the county will not pay for 11th graders. But 11th grade is an important year for the PSAT. The test results from 11th grade testing determines a students eligibility for National Merit Scholarships. [material deleted] For all students, the PSAT results prompt colleges to begin to reach out to students to encourage applications. The administration has secured a limited number of fee waivers from the College Board, but not nearly enough to cover the number of students who they believe will be unable to pay the $13 test fee.

Our school administration and the counseling department have asked for our support to make sure that all students can take the test and have the results scored and circulated by the College Board. [material deleted] As you well know, our PTSA budget cannot provide this amount at this time. If you can afford to make a donation to defray the costs of the test for another student or students, please do so. [material deleted]

So - while I feel for the students and PTSAs who are asked to pick up the tab for this test, I'd advise thinking before you proceed further.

1. Do tenth graders really need to have their exams scored and circulated by the College Board?
2. Aren't fee waivers available from the College Board or school district?
3. If the exam is given as part of the school day, with attendance taken, isn't this exercise part of the instructional program?

Question 1. Short answer - No.
Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Earlier this year I posted a caution to parents in Potomac about paying for exam preparation for a practice test. Yes, the PSAT is a practice test, in preparation for the SAT that some, but not all, colleges require. You can read about the PSAT on the College Board webpage, but note - only the scores taken in the junior year count for the scholarship programs. The other benefits from taking the exam? All of the reasons for taking the exam - identification of strengths and weaknesses, a measure of performance to others applying to colleges, and familiarity with SAT questions - can be accomplished without having the scores sent to the College Board.

And yes, parents should be aware of alternatives to taking a practice practice exam. Preparation materials and sample exams are available in the public libraries for free. Also, many exam prep courses offer diagnostic exams - again, for free. If the school in question has limited funds, its the 11th graders who should have the test picked up for free. Little purpose is served by having 10th graders receive a score report from College Board.

Question 2. Short answer - the College Board provides fee waivers.
Brief Constructed Response - From the College Board website:

The College Board makes fee waivers available to schools for students in eleventh grade from low-income families who can't afford the test fee. See your counselor for more information about fee waivers.

Those of us with kids in MCPS have noticed that the pricing varies from school to school. Did you know that Walter Johnson doesn't charge 10th or 11th graders for taking the PSAT? According to their website:

This year, all eleventh and tenth grade students are required to take the official 2009 PSAT exam, for which there is no fee or registration procedure, which will be scored by Educational Testing Service. Juniors whose PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test Selection Index scores are high and who meet all requirements for participating in National Merit Scholarship programs will be considered for recognition and scholarships.

How did they do that? Obviously, there is more green at WJ than just on the athletic fields. Last year, Magruder HS did not charge 10th and 11th graders.

Of particular note is that some school districts negotiate for better pricing.

The State of Indiana negotiated a $10.4 per test fee.

So - why doesn't the 16th largest school district in the country negotiate a better fee schedule?

3. Short answer. Yes, this is part of the school day.
BCR - If a school expects students to show up, takes attendance, and marks students as tardy or absent, then its a normal school day. If the exam is given in place of instruction, as part of the school's program.

Those of you who have been following our blog know what comes next.

The Maryland Constitution provides for a free public education. This looks like a fee for a part of the curriculum in the school and is illegal. If an exam is given in school as part of the school program, the school system cannot charge a fee. College board scoring or not, a school day's replacement for its normal instructional program must be provided to all students, regardless of their ability to pay.

So - to the school that is soliciting parental contributions? You can stop right now. The next post on your listserve should be that the school has decided to follow the lead of Magruder and Walter Johnson, and will provide the PSAT for free on October 14. Checks will be mailed out to reimburse those students who have submitted payment for an activity that is part of the school's instructional program.

And to the principals who seek PTSA assistance? Go to your superintendent first, and be sure that the same rules apply to all schools, not just to the ones who are clever enough to ask.

Congratulations to Eastern MS . . .

The Eastern Middle School community in Silver Spring is ecstatic that they will receive a new $15,000 athletic field makeover from Kellogg - the folks that bring Frosted Flakes and other breakfast foods to families across the country.

Here is the text that went out to one of the lists I am on. Note that the writer asks that everyone pass along Eastern's great news.

Hello Eastern Middle School community and friends,

Late yesterday, I received an email from Kellogg's saying that Eastern Middle School -- got that drum roll going? -- has been selected as one of 30 fields in the country to receive field improvements/renovations! Yep, we did it! We went from a late night (and practically forgotten) nomination whim, to a semifinalist in practically last place out of 100 fields with only 24 votes in early May, to ninth place and 23,554 votes only three weeks later! Who would have guessed? Well, Ben Yeatts-Lonske certainly did, with his incredible and inspirational vote-by-vote tracking of the situation, and Aileen Hilliard and Judith Arbacher and Beth Sperber Ritchie and Susan Thomas and many many others who Ben cited in his June 2 wrap-up email as having sent out reminders, emails to other lists, etc. Congratulations everyone, and get ready to enjoy a brand new field! Kellogg's will probably organize a celebration once the renovation is done (and if they don't we will). But, let's organize something sooner at the field in the next week or so to celebrate this win. Any suggestions?

If you did contact any listservs and community or personal contacts, please spread the news that Eastern is among the winners! Also, because school is out for the summer, please share the news with any EMS families you are able to contact who might not be on this listserv or might not have a computer.

Let's keep this momentum going for making Eastern a stellar example of all things cooperative and scholastic, with parents, teachers, and students working together for the single purpose of providing the best education possible for our kids who, after all, is what this is all about.

Jim Laurenson

Numerous listserves across the county carried Eastern's plea for assistance - and yes, as stated by Mr. Laurenson, this is a stellar example of all things creative.

Meanwhile, over in Bethesda, Walter Johnson High School is in the process of installing a new turf field (estimated cost $400,000 +) that will be ripped out in November after one football season (and two months into the school year) and replaced by an artificial turf field at a cost of $1.2 million.

Great job, Walter Johnson, in advocating for your own community while middle schools in Montgomery County have to be creative and identify their own financing. Now, what is your community going to do to thank the other school communities across Montgomery County who are still waiting for their field of dreams?

I never realized that when Dr. Weast talks about the green and the red zone, he is also referring to the status of the athletic fields in the county.