The school is investigating whether we are able to administer the PSAT for juniors in January 2021, which is the next date for the exam. A few variables we have to contend with to see of this is possible:
a) space - do we have the proper space to administer the PSAT to the entire cohort of juniors (roughly 800+) in one day and do so safely following all social distancing guidelines? Do we need an alternative space?
b) personnel/proctors - do we have enough personnel to proctor the exam?
c) costs - what are the ancillary expenses required and how much?
d) Jan. 26 - how will the DOE ask schools to use Regents Week in January now that the Jan. Regents are cancelled?
And as for the in-school SAT that is administered in the Spring (March) the latest guidance we received is the following:
"Further guidance on administration guidelines for Spring PSAT10/SAT School Day will be announced later in the school year."
The most important factor impacting PSAT and SAT is the status of COVID-19 in the City. Unfortunately, the uptick in COVID positivity rates is creating more concern - the holidays and breaks could be an issue particularly for the January PSAT.
The information above is what we are negotiating to determine how we can best proceed.
We will continue to update the students and families as we have more information or when we make decisions.
Dear Juniors and Parents/Guardians,
In October of 2019, you sat down to take your first PSAT at Stuyvesant. We all thought you would take your PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) this October, but you are entering your junior year of high school at an unprecedented time.
Although we will be unable to administer the PSAT/NMSQT next month, in collaboration with the College Board and the Department of Education, we are working to explore every possibility of administering the exam in January 2021. Several logistical and safety issues have to be worked out, including how to test a great number of juniors while abiding by social distancing rules that are likely to still be in place.
Like many of you, we are also curious to learn what the College Board may have planned for those students who cannot travel to a testing site.
As we continue to explore a variety of plans for Stuyvesant students, we encourage you to continue exploring alternative testing sites, as even if we can host, it will likely be under a limited capacity.
Please remember that college admissions officers are well aware of the challenges students and schools are facing with regard to the countless test cancellations resulting from the pandemic. Many have adopted test-optional admissions policies as a result. Please know that should the Class of 2022 continue to face these obstacles this year, admissions offices will continue to adjust their processes to accommodate the many talented applicants who were unable to take standardized college entrance exams due to COVID.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gary Haber
Assistant Principal
