ARCHIVES
2008
→		Aug/Sept
→		Jun
→		May
→		Apr
→		Mar
→		Feb
→		Jan
2007
→		Nov

Latest News

A Note from Gaston

Gaston Caperton

Earlier this month, our dear and respected colleague Mike Riley died unexpectedly. Many of you knew Mike, who was superintendent of the Bellevue School District in Washington state for more than a decade. Mike served on our Board of Trustees and then joined the College Board a year ago as our senior vice president in charge of our College Readiness Systems.

Mike had a bold vision for districtwide school reform. His work at the College Board centered around envisioning and then implementing our College Readiness System, a systemwide platform of high school reform that elevates education in entire school districts in meaningful, measurable ways. Mike believed in the fundamental necessity of districtwide school reform. He joined the College Board, in large part, because he believed we were the best organization in this country to lead systemwide
school improvement.

During the days since Mike’s death, I have been touched by not just the outpouring of grief from his colleagues here and around the country but also by the magnitude of their esteem for Mike. He was our colleague and friend, and he was a passionate visionary whose work profoundly affected us, along with many educators around the country. We will miss Mike, but we can take comfort in knowing that the foundation he laid is strong. Our dedication to seeing that foundation grow and strengthen will be a testament to his life’s work.

In other news, the National Association for College Admission Counseling issued an important report last month, and I thought it would be useful to share our reaction to the report with you. We at the College Board respect the findings of the commission and are working closely with our member institutions to understand the new and changing needs of our constituents in order to ensure those needs are met.

• We are pleased that the NACAC Commission agrees that the SAT® is a fair test. We further underscore our long-held concern about inequities in the K-12 education system in this country, which result in some students being less prepared for college admission and, ultimately, college success.

• We agree with the commission that the SAT Subject Tests™ and AP® Examination grades are excellent predictors of college performance.

• Several recent research studies confirm what we have known for years — AP Exam grades are one of the very best predictors of college performance. We are pleased that the report recognized the excellence of the AP Program. Participation in AP is, indeed, an important factor in admissions decisions. As with any test scores, if AP Exam grades were to be used explicitly for admissions, this use should be based on sound research.

• The College Board has always said that the SAT is not the only measure that should be considered when making admissions decisions. The SAT and high school grades are both very predictive of first-year college success and, because they are slightly different measures, together they are extremely powerful.

As you know, the College Board is focused on preparing students for college success and strives to be a national leader in college readiness. We believe that we accomplish this by being active listeners who embrace change and are always ready to improve our work.

We are especially looking forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas about these — and many other topics — at our upcoming national Forum Nov. 5-8 in Houston. We expect about 2,000 attendees at the Forum and are especially interested in the discussions that will be taking place against the backdrop of a newly elected president, a challenged economy and the ever-increasing demands on our educational community. I look forward to seeing many of you there and hearing your thoughts.

As always, I thank you for being part of the College Board.

» College Board to Release Annual Reports on College Tuition and Financial Aid » ReadiStep™ Developed for Eighth-Graders to Gauge Proficiencies in Reading, Writing and Math

» Earlier this month, our dear and respected colleague Mike Riley died unexpectedly. Many of you knew Mike, who was >>

Applications Now Available for Grants to Schools and Teachers Shape Minds with AP®. Apply for Your AP Start-Up Grant. SAVE THE DATE for Destination Equity 2009: Charting Bright Futures for All Students Last Chance to Register for College Board Forum 2008! AP® and Pre-AP® Workshops Are Back in Session. SAVE THE DATE for A Dream Deferred™: The Future of African American Education 2008-09 Access & Diversity Collaborative National Seminars SAVE THE DATE for Prepárate™: Educating Latinos for the Future of America SAVE THE DATE for AP Annual Conference 2009

CONTACT | CAREERS | ABOUT US | PRIVACY | TERMS OF USE | PRESS | LINK TO US | ARCHIVES