(Photo by Ben Mullins on Unsplash)
Nov. 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin
State Senator Michael Gianaris is calling for the college entrance SAT exam to be held remotely amid rising coronavirus cases nationwide.
Gianaris penned a letter to the CEO of the College Board — which administers the SAT exam to high schoolers — to advise against in-person testing.
He called on the College Board to provide digital testing options for all students instead. He also asked the test administrators to waive the SAT fees that incur from in-person testing.
Gianaris said many parents and students don’t feel comfortable gathering with others in order to take the exam.
“Students and parents throughout New York are anxious about the dangers associated with holding the college entrance exam in large, crowded locations,” he wrote in the Nov. 20 letter. “As we experience a new wave of covid-19 infections, we need a different solution.”
He also pointed to the fact that all public school classes in New York City have gone fully remote due to an increase in the citywide COVID-19 positivity rate.
The Astoria senator said the College Board should follow suit.
“With remote learning now the norm for city students, the College Board needs to revisit the wisdom of requiring in-person testing and associated fees in the current environment,” Gianaris said.
