[Oacrao-l] FW: Pandemic Policy Guidance on Standardized Testing

[Foster, Kyle]

Good morning, OACRAO colleagues.

Please see the message below from Dr. Debbie Blanke regarding ACT/SAT scores and policy flexibility related to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

Kyle Foster, Ph.D. (he/him/his)
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
655 Research Parkway, Suite 200 | Oklahoma City, OK 73104<https://goo.gl/maps/nMc3YG81uo72>
P: +1 405 225 9163 | F: +1 405 225 9300 | E: kfoster at osrhe.edu<mailto:kfoster at osrhe.edu>

[cid:image004.jpg at 01D71978.0F77D340]<http://okhighered.org/>      [cid:image005.png at 01D71978.0F77D340] <https://www.ok.gov/>

From: Blanke, Debbie
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2021 8:39 AM
To: Council on Instruction <coi at osrhe.edu>; Council on Student Affairs <cosa at osrhe.edu>
Cc: Foster, Kyle <kfoster at osrhe.edu>
Subject: Pandemic Policy Guidance on Standardized Testing

Dear COI and COSA members,

As you know, the past year has been challenging for both students and institutions struggling to adjust to life in a worldwide pandemic.  In order to ensure that no student wishing to attend a State System institution was disadvantaged,   Chancellor Johnson issued guidance on using flexibility in the application of several State Regents' Academic Affairs policies on March 30, 2020.  This guidance was updated on April 8, 2020 and May 7, 2020.  The State Regents affirmed the ability for institutions to exercise this flexibility due to the pandemic at their September 3, 2020 meeting and extended it into the 2021-2022 academic year at their March 4, 2021 meeting (attached).

As detailed in the letter from Chancellor Johnston to presidents and communicated by Academic Affairs staff during the past year, the option to utilize flexibility is not a broad circumvention of policy and only exercised as necessary to accommodate students.  We have received questions regarding whether students admitted months ago without providing ACT or SAT scores will be required to now take one of these college admission tests and submit the scores to the institution to which they were admitted.  Although data from student test scores play an important role in admission in the context of the State Regents' Institutional Admission and Retention policy, we have concluded that asking students who have already been admitted to now test would place a substantial burden on students and institutions; therefore, State System institutions will not be required to ask students who have already enrolled to submit an ACT or SAT score.

Please keep in mind that institutions must still track students admitted without submitting required records, including ACT or SAT scores for reporting at the end of each semester for the duration of the policy flexibility allowances.  This flexibility is not intended to be an overall exception to the policy requirement that students submit a test score for admission; there should be a compelling reason to allow students to be admitted without fulfilling this requirement, especially since testing is now readily available in most circumstances.  As a reminder, applicants may use the ACT on Campus (formerly known as the residual ACT) to fulfill this requirement.

Finally, please note that institutions will be expected to follow all policy requirements once the current flexibility allowances expire at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 academic year.  The only institutions who will not be mandated to require ACT or SAT scores at that point will be those institutions that have been approved to conduct test-optional admissions pilots.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or Dr. Foster (kfoster at osrhe.edu<mailto:kfoster at osrhe.edu>).  As always, thank you for the time and dedication you expend for your institutions and, most importantly, your students.

Debbie Blanke, Ed.D.
Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
655 Research Parkway, Suite 200
Oklahoma City, OK  73104

(405) 225-9145
dblanke at osrhe.edu<mailto:dblanke at osrhe.edu>
www.okhighered.org<http://www.okhighered.org/>

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