The equation for fairness is simple: You know it when you see it, and this calculator inequity isn’t it. The simplest solution would be to eliminate the math section that allows calculator use or permit test-takers to use only the most basic calculators, provided by the College Board.īefore the next round of SAT testing begins in March, CAS calculators such as the TI-Nspire should be banned and an effort made to arm every test-taker with a calculator. If all students had access to a better calculator, how many could improve their test scores enough to get into their dream school? How many students get in to better schools because of this privilege hack? It isn’t right and shouldn’t stand. A calculator, and the right calculator at that, is an absolute must.” They say that because the College Board needs to make the SAT seem accessible to people of all income levels. PrepScholar, a popular website for students hoping to attend selective colleges, points out that the College Board’s calculator policy “says that you don’t need a calculator for the SAT. The ACT, which competes with the College Board for test-takers, prohibits calculators with CAS functionality. Seven models of the TI-Nspire CAS are on the College Board’s list. In response to an email asking whether the College Board is aware that the TI-Nspire is seen as greatly helping those who use it and whether it has considered banning such calculators, a communications officer sent a link to the SAT calculator policy, which spells out the permitted calculators. Especially when the test has the potential to affect a student’s educational trajectory. It’s unfair to allow such an incredibly helpful advanced calculator unless every student has access to it. Recognizing this problem, my school recently sought donations to purchase basic $8 calculators for use in testing - a good move, since over 200 students at my school alone showed up last fall to take the PSAT without a calculator. She was told none were available and that she didn’t need one. I became aware of this last year when a girl in my exam room raised her hand and asked to borrow a calculator for the test. In my large public high school in Idaho, many students take the SAT without a calculator mainly because they don’t realize they can use one or they can’t afford one. Conquer Your Exam calls it “the best out of the bunch” of calculators the site recommends and says it “can give you the edge during the SAT.” The wonders of the TI-Nspire and others like it are well known to those who specialize in SAT performance, and message boards and blogs are filled with recommendations. Within seconds of opening the box, it was obvious to me that this calculator should be banned from SAT testing.Īside from being financially out of reach of many students, CAS calculators have the potential to misrepresent math ability and problem-solving skills. Equations and notes can be stored for use during the test, and the calculator can solve all complex equations input by the user.Īs the company TestPrepHQ says: “It almost feels like cheating” because the calculator makes it so easy. In technical terms, the TI-Nspire calculator has a computer algebraic system (known as CAS) that essentially allows a person to use the calculator as a computer.
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