Agenda Item
a. College Board SAT School Day Exams (Not to exceed $225,000)
Summary: Presented by: Dr. Candace Alexander, Chief of Accountability and Research, Division of Accountability & Research
Request: It is requested that the Board of Education approve the purchase of SAT Exams from College Board for the SY25-26 test administration in an amount not to exceed $225,000.
The requested purchase is a testing expenditure that does not require bid per the District’s Purchasing Board Policy (DJE).
Why: College entrance exams are designed to gauge a student's academic ability and likelihood of succeeding in college. It is important that all our students, particularly our juniors and seniors, have the opportunity to be administered the SAT exam during a regular school day.
• Students who take the SAT increase their chances of getting into four-year colleges and reassure admissions committees that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in the academic environment of higher education.
• Scholarships and financial aid opportunities are tied to college entrance exams; therefore, students who take the SAT are eligible for more than $220 million in scholarships each year.
• Colleges and universities use the results of the college entrance exams to determine course placement. Students who perform well on these exams may be enrolled in more advanced classes, which would enable them to finish their degree requirements faster and save money on tuition and fees.
•Since college acceptance does not always guarantee admission to specific colleges or schools within a university, students who take college entrance exams may be afforded the opportunity to enroll in more advanced coursework and specialized academic paths within the institution.
Over six million students in nearly 5,000 districts and 14,000 schools participate in SAT School Day.
Details: This proposed budget item is requesting funds not to exceed $225,000.00 to cover the costs of the SAT for juniors in SY 2025-2026.
SAT School Day administration is scheduled for March 11, 2026, for juniors with make-up days on March 12-13, 2026. The assessment is a participation requirement and not a graduation requirement. Students will take the SAT digitally using their school-issued devices for testing, ensuring a smooth experience for students.
Students who qualify for an SAT fee waiver may participate in an SAT School Day administration and still take the SAT two additional times during national administrations on weekends using their fee waiver. SAT fee waivers are for weekend testing only.
Administrators and teachers will be provided professional learning with a holistic understanding of the SAT test and test administration processes and procedures by the Assessment Administration department and through SAT training webinars.
The SAT executive will host a workshop for school leaders to improve DCSD educators’ foundational knowledge of the SAT, help educators identify curricular connections, analyze key performance data points, and implement strategies to provide students with the rigor and relevance to improve achievement.
The Assessment Administration Department, in collaboration with the Division of Information and Instructional Technology, will assist schools with the assessment implementation, including test planning, administrative set-up, required processes, and any operational and technological needs.
Financial impact: The financial impact is an amount, not to exceed, $225,000 for FY26.
The purchase amount will be paid using general funds budgeted to the Department of Assessment Administration, charge code: 100.2210.553200.00011.7540.9990.8010.030.0000
Contact: Dr. Candace Alexander, Chief of Accountability & Research, Division of Accountability & Research, 678.676.0733,
Dr. Felicia G. Rhone, Director of Assessment Administration, Division of Accountability & Research, 678.676.0231
Effective: March 2026
Status: Approved by the Office of Legal Affairs
Dekalb County School District
2021-2025 SAT Test Takers (Cohorts)
High School I 2021 I 2022 I 2023 I 2024 I 2025
Arabia Mountain High Sc 104 211 175 210 260
Cedar Grove High School 40 76 72 85 177
Chamblee High School 205 286 275 253 356
Clarkston High School 254 244 203 112 217
Columbia High School 81 76 87 56 164
Cross Keys High School 30 86 77 99 266
DeKalb Alternative School N/A N/A N/A NA NA
Dekalb Early College Acad 20 61 48 59 67
Dekalb School of the Arts 44 72 70 61 68
Druid Hills High School 97 156 163 175 233
Dunwoody High School 182 264 216 220 307
Elizabeth Andrews High 1 3 9 6 15
Lakeside High School 185 275 248 256 369
lithonia High School 19 92 68 66 254
Martin Luther King High Sc 26 110 100 88 223
McNair High School 17 18 75 115 115
Miller Grove High School 20 87 72 74 153
Redan High School 24 74 58 98 198
Southwest DeKalb 58 124 170 134 216
Stephenson High School 85 130 108 119 229
Stone Mountain High 99 171 124 101 194
Tapestry Charter School 9 19 12 18 27
Towers High School 19 41 90 123 145
Tucker High School 137 216 198 177 232
Total 1756 2892 2721 2707 4486
Source: College Board SAT Student Data File, including weekend administrations. Test-takers for 2021
2024 include seniors only.
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