Superintendent Kathy Cox and the Georgia Department of Education are dedicated to the goals of improving student achievement on high stakes college entrance tests such as the SAT and the ACT and to providing students more opportunities for rigorous coursework through Advanced Placement courses. The AP, SAT, ACT, PSAT unit provides workshops that train teachers, counselors and administrators.

The AP/SAT/ACT/PSAT unit offers the following workshops to Georgia high schools, RESA’s and ETTC’s

• Using the PSAT Summary of Answers and Skills (SOAS) Report and other Data to Increase Student Achievement
• Planning and Teaching to Enhance Critical Thinking Skills
• Registering and Instructing Teachers on How to Use the Educator Tools Available with the SAT Online Prep Program
• Using AP Potential
• Building and Sustaining Quality Advanced Placement Programs, An Administrator’s Guide
• Adding Rigor to the Curriculum Using College Readiness and College Success Standards

Important Information for AP Coordinators

In May of 2008, the state of Georgia will again pay for one AP exam for each public school student enrolled in an authorized AP course AND will pay for all AP exams (student must be enrolled in authorized AP course(s)) for students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch.

Important Information for AP Coordinators and new AP Teachers:

All AP teachers who have not already submitted their course syllabi and AP Course Audit forms for authorization from College Board can find information and instructions on completing this process at: https://apcourseaudit.epiconline.org/

Important new information from the AP Audit:

• Re-authorizing Existing AP Courses and Submitting Syllabi for new AP teachers and/or new AP Courses for 2008-09 school year: In March 2008, principals will have access to an online form that will allow them to confirm teachers and courses that will remain unchanged in 2008-09, and thus reauthorize their existing approved courses. Schools may begin submitting materials in March for 2008-09 course authorization for new teachers and courses.
• Transfer of AP Course Authorization: Should teachers transfer from one school to another, either this year or in the future, they will not need to resubmit their authorized syllabus. Rather, a simple process of changing the school affiliation on the AP Course Audit website, coupled with the submission of a completed Course Audit form from the teacher’s new school, will effectively transfer authorization to the new school. Complete instructions can be found on the AP Course Audit website.
• New Resources for AP Teachers: As a result of the secure account that AP teachers created for the AP Course Audit, the College Board will now be able to provide them with free, direct access to the sort of confidential materials and resources teachers have often requested. Beginning in summer 2008, teachers will be able to use their course audit password to download a free AP Exam and rubrics that have not been released to students. College Board is also working to develop a web-based system, tentatively scheduled to debut in 2009, to provide teachers with online access to their students’ exam results and information about their performance on specific topics and sections in each AP Exam the summer following the exam.

PSAT Administration for 2008 is October 15. (Preliminary SAT)

PSAT for Tenth Grade Students in GA

The Preliminary SAT is provided free to all students enrolled in grade ten in Georgia public high schools. This examination is an excellent opportunity for students to understand the requirements of the SAT, which is a critical reasoning examination used as a criteria in college admissions. Tenth grade students who participate in the October administration of the PSAT at their home high school receive a detailed Score Report in December. The Score Report provides students with a comprehensive skills’ analysis of their performance and gives them a code which provides access to a website with additional test information and an interactive career information program called My Roads. Please ensure that your tenth grade student is present on October 15, 2008, for this valuable learning opportunity.

PSAT for Juniors

Students who pay to take the PSAT as a junior are eligible to be considered for National Merit Scholarships. Confer with your student’s counselor for information on National Merit Scholarships and instructions for ordering the PSAT for your junior.

SAT Online Prep Course

For the third consecutive school year, the SAT Online Prep Course is available to all Georgia students, grades 9-12. Once registered in SAT Online, students can access the course from any computer with internet capability, 24/7. Students registered in SAT Online need not re-apply as the subscription for the course rolls over from school year to school year provided the student is actively using the site. Students enrolled in public high schools but not previously registered in SAT Online can receive registration instructions at their school. Home schooled students can apply for SAT Online by using the convenient link on the right side of this webpage. Private schools can register for SAT Online access by using the convenient link on the right side of this webpage.

High school principals: please note that the SAT Online resource packet that was shipped to your school via UPS the week of August 6 contains information about a change in SAT Online registration procedures. Students registering after September 2007 will have to be given unique activation codes. This new procedure will not apply to any student currently registered in SAT Online.

Advanced Placement

Advanced Placement courses are college-level courses offered by trained high school teachers in the regular high school setting. In 2005-06, over one third of the students in Georgia public high schools were enrolled in AP courses. AP courses guarantee rigor in our classrooms. AP students take the AP exams in May of each year. Successful scores on AP exams can result in credit for course work in colleges and universities.
For more about Advanced Placement: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html
To access review assistance on AP exams, visit this site: www.gavirtualschool.org

College Entrance Exams...The SAT and The ACT

The SAT reasoning text is a measure of the critical thinking skills needed for academic success in college. The SAT assesses how well a student analyzes and solves problems.
For more info on The SAT: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/about.html

The ACT assesses high school students' general educational development and their ability to complete college level work.
For more info on The ACT: http://www.act.org/aap/
All colleges and universities in Georgia accept scores from both/either of these college entrance exams.

See Also

• Press Release: Access to Online SAT Prep Course Expanded
• College Board for Students