ERIC ED565438: Universal SAT® Policy Boosts 4-Year College Enrollment. Info to Go™ 2015-1

2015·0.67 MB·English

by  ERIC

COLLEGE BOARD RESEARCH / INFO TO GO™ / 2015-1
Universal SAT® Policy

Boosts 4-Year

College Enrollment

By Michael Hurwitz, Jonathan Smith, Sunny Niu, and Jessica Howell
Maine replaced its existing high school statewide assessment with the SAT® and administered
the exam to almost all public high school juniors. A primary goal of this policy change was to
increase 4-year college enrollment by public school students in Maine.
OVERVIEW
4-YEAR COLLEGE-GOING RATES (SAT STATES)

4
Maine
6 3 SAT
T00 States
N2 Northeast
OIM 2 States
PO Synthetic
E R Maine
GF 1
AE
TC
NN 0
EE
CR
RE
EF -1
PF
DI
-2
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION
THE RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY EMPLOYED
ENABLES CAUSAL STATEMENTS
Changes in 4-year college-going rates in Maine were
compared to changes in three control groups: (1) all
SAT-dominant states, (2) New England states, and (3) a
synthetically-constructed Maine. Maine's actual change in SELECT SAT NEW ENGLAND SYNTHETIC MAINE
4-year college-going after the policy change is statistically STATES STATES CONTROL
larger than all three control groups.
RESULTS
The mandatory SAT policy in Maine increased 4-year college-going rates among Maine public high school
graduates by at least 2-3 percentage points overall, and by 10 percentage points among those students
who took the SAT only because it was made universal.
SAT
GROWTH IN
4-YEAR COLLEGE
MAINE’S POLICY 1 10 ENROLLMENT
IN OF THE
CHANGE CAUSES INDUCED STUDENTS DRIVEN BY STUDENTS
4-YEAR COLLEGE IN MAINE’S RURAL
ENTERED THE 4-YEAR
AND SMALL -TOWN
ENROLLMENT TO
COLLEGE PIPELINE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
INCREASE
BENEFITS
Maine’s SAT policy is a relatively cost effective state strategy for increasing 4-year college enrollment. To achieve
a similar increase in enrollment, Maine would have needed to spend more than four times as much on increased
financial aid.
UNIVERSAL SAT IS A LESS $3.7M AVOIDED $1M
COSTS
COSTLY OPTION THAN OTHER
UNIVERSAL SAT
MEANS OF BOOSTING 4-YEAR COLLEGE
ENROLLMENT. $4.7M
STATE FINANCIAL AID
STUDENTS WHO POSITIVE SPILLOVERS
ATTEND COLLEGE FROM ADDITIONAL YEARS OF EDUCATION INCLUDE:
EXPERIENCE
HIGHER EARNINGS
THAN THOSE WHO ONLY
GRADUATE
FROM HIGH
SCHOOL. GREATER JOB BETTER HEALTH AND HEALTH IMPROVED CIVIC
SATISFACTION INSURANCE COVERAGE ENGAGEMENT
SOURCE
Adapted from: Michael Hurwitz, Jonathan Smith, Sunny Nin, and Jessica Howell, “The Maine Question: How Is 4-Year College Enrollment Affected by
Mandatory College Entrance Exams?" Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, March 37 (2015): 138-159. http://epa.sagepub.com/content/37/1/138
Series Editor: F. Tony Di Giacomo research.collegeboard.org
© 2015 The College Board. 00078-006