September 29, 2009

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Seattle Public School's strategic plan, Excellence for All, is focused on providing an excellent education for every student in every school and ensuring our students graduate prepared for college, careers and life. On October 14th, we will continue our work to advance this goal by providing the Preliminary SAT exam (PSAT/NMSQT®) for ALL our students in grades 10 and 11. The College Board's PSAT/NMSQT® is a powerful tool that we can use to raise SAT scores, to broaden participation in AP and IB courses, and to raise the higher education aspirations of all our students and families. We are also able to provide this exam and all associated college counseling tools at NO COST because of the generosity of a local corporate sponsor.

All of our high schools will offer the test on Wednesday, October 14, 2009. This exam will give all students an opportunity to experience taking a college readiness test and help us identify students who might benefit from advanced coursework. Even if your child has not yet decided to attend college, I urge you to make sure he or she participates.

By taking the PSAT/NMSQT® your child will have access to resources that will help prepare him/her for the future:

  1. a list of careers and potential college majors based on the preferences indicated on the PSAT/NMSQT®;
  2. access to MyRoad™, the College Board's interactive college and career planning website;
  3. MY COLLEGE QUICK START™, a personalized, interactive planning program based on the individual student’s test results;
  4. an online score report, including projected SAT® score ranges, state percentiles, and the ability to sort answer explanations by difficulty and question type;
  5. a customized SAT® study plan including a review of results, SAT® practice questions, and personalized skill improvement ideas.

Please note that 10th graders are not eligible for the National Merit Qualifying Scholarships. Only 11th grade students may be identified as National Merit Scholars based on the PSAT/NMSQT®.

Your student’s Score Report for the PSAT/NMSQT® will arrive at school in December for distribution.

Sincerely,

Dr. Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson, Ph.D.
Superintendent