I have an oddball issue and wonder if any parent has some thoughts or has experienced a similar circumstance.
My son took the ACT four times, receiving a very good score three times and an excellent score (99th percentile) once. His top score is is his best score on each of the individual test components so he does not need to “super score.”
In reviewing his transcript he learned that the scores from all four test administrations are listed, as well as a (50th percentile) SAT test score he received as a freshman.
He has very strong grades for all three years taking a very rigorous curriculum. He will apply to some of the most selective schools and does not want to have his lower scores submitted. But for these scores being on the HS transcript, they would not be disclosed. And of course, he needs LOR’s or similar reports from his counselor for his application and his counselor is new to him, due to a district consolidation and school closing.
My intention is to instruct the counselor to have the test scores removed from his transcript. The highest ACT score will be reported separately to his application schools through College Board. I’m expecting resistance from the school and am wondering whether it’s worth it, particularly as my son will need the same person to prepare an LOR and HS reports. I have no problem advocating for my son, but perhaps this may cause more problems in the end with the LOR. Any thoughts? Does anyone with some expertise think disclosure of those scores over the parents objection is a FERPA issue?
it shouldn’t be on the highschool transcript but that is their style so im not sure if you can remove that. Regardless, SAT submits ALL previous test scores to the college. On the ACT you can select which scores you want to send. If I am correct then I suggest you also send all ACT scores as you said they are very good.
Some colleges want to see scores for all the tests the student has taken. For example if you send the December scores to a college. That report will include any previous test scores.
Because some schools will take scores on an official school transcript that is signed and sealed by the school. Some schools will take the school copy of the score report as long as it is signed and sealed by the school. Some schools will take a copy of the tape that they send the school with test scores as long as it is on school letterhead, again, signed and sealed by the school.
As the the cost of sending many test scores can be prohibitive, especially for low income students, some schools provide multiple avenues for sending scores (they however will not simply take copies of the student score report from the student)
I would ask to have all but the best ACT score removed. Frankly, I have always been irritated that the high school gets a copy of the student’s scores. College Board is a private company, not affiliated with the school district and the district is not paying for the test. When DS took his sophomore year PSAT years ago, the school received the scores before he did, but as a new parent to the process, I thought that was because back then the school paid for the test. Then, lo and behold, they also got the junior year PSAT report we paid for, and every other SAT score after that. I understand that the GC would benefit from knowing scores in order to better guide the student in the college search, but s/he could request that data from the student just like s/he requests a list of the 5 adjectives that best describe the student and all that other information. I always suspected our school considered test scores when accepting or denying applications to enroll in our AP courses. While that makes some sense, D2 is a perfect example of a kid whose SAT scores don’t predict her ability to get A’s in AP classes.
The way to avoid this is to leave the school code blank when registering for the test. I know this works for ACT; not sure for SAT. The school then does not receive the score report.
Our school lists all sittings that are reported to them. I tried to fight this battle for all the reasons mentioned upthread. Both the principal and GC appeared clueless as to why someone might not want all scores posted. In the end they grudgingly agreed to only include his highest. I had these discussions before he took the test and meanwhile, I learned not to enter the school code. Problem solved. 9 years later, with D, the school still had the same policy…and we did exactly the same thing
Yes, some schools do require all scores. But if they don’t, why show a school that the student took the test four times (or more)?
My school system had an “all or none” policy. All scores listed or none.
That is a great idea about leaving out the school code. If students knew to do that, then schools would have to change their policies about insisting that all scores be put on transcripts. What if the best-scoring students didn’t put the school code? Schools like to keep data on the SAT/ACT scores of their students, and they wouldn’t like to lose the data from those high-scoring students.
“What is the benefit of listing test scores on the HS transcript when nearly all schools want an official report anyways?”
In my state, all HS students take the ACT (at school and at school expense) as part of No Child Left Behind metrics. So the school-mandated ACT score automatically goes onto the HS transcript as a compliance matter.
But if the kid takes a later/better ACT, you can fill out a form and the school will substitute in the better score (which still checks the compliance box on NCLB). So there doesn’t appear to be any FERPA or other privacy issue that applies.
Isn’t the high school information mandatory, i.e. a required field? If you don’t put the code, you still need to put the name of the school, don’t you? I could be wrong, but I think I tried to leave off the school info for my second and was unsuccessful in registering until I did.
I’m aware of that, as is @CTTC , as s/he mentioned above. However, the original comment from another user, “SAT submits ALL previous test scores to the college” was made as a blanket statement, which was an incorrect statement to make
Where I live the NYC DOE pays for the PSAT for all 10th and 11th grade students. In addition as part to their college access for all initiative, starting in Aril 2017, the NYC Doe will pay for all Juniors to take the SAT during a school day vs the weekend administration.
Yes, thank you, skieurope. I was responding to the previous poster’s incorrect blanket statement. If one googles the term “score choice” the first hits are about SAT’s trademarked term, which is what I was referring to. Nothing to do with individual colleges or universities, which is what I made clear.
Also, I think SAT score choice is free now. Or rather, it’s the same cost to send all your scores as it is to send a selection.
Not that it’s on-topic for this thread, but it’s my understanding that the ACT charges you to send each sitting separately.
Back on-topic - I would definitely ask the school to have all but one score removed - or even all of them. Presumably they will comply. If not, though, I definitely would not threaten to sue them!
