Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, New Trier switched from administering the SAT to the ACT for their students. This change comes after the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) decision to state-mandate the ACT over the SAT for the first time in eight years. So, on Apr. 9 and Apr 10. New Trier administered the PreACT to freshmen and sophomores and the ACT to juniors. 

In September of 2023, ACT Inc. gave the ISBE a lower bid than College Board to state-mandate their standardized test, the ACT, instead of College Board’s SAT. ISBE accepted, thus leading to the creation of a six-year contract of state-mandating the ACT starting with the 2024-2025 school year, and ending the previous eight-year state-mandate of the SAT. Illinois high schools will be required to administer the PreACT and ACT to their students for at least the next six years.

According to Dr. Chimille Tillery, New Trier’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction, New Trier’s transition to the ACT has proven to be difficult due to the lack of clear instruction the ACT provides to test administrators. This has caused both New Trier and other school districts administering the ACT to face problems: Neighboring District 205 faced delays taking the test, and other districts had to send their kids home due to technology issues with the ACT server being down.

“There have just been glitches,” Tillery said. “It just comes with digital testing, but there’s more glitches than the SAT.”

While this is New Trier’s first year administering the ACT again after eight years of the SAT, and tech glitches are common, the ACT’s lack of support for administrators caused New Trier to face issues on testing day. Last year, the SAT switched to a digital format, which, like the ACT, did not give clear instructions. But, when New Trier struggled with administering the digital SAT, ISBE could help because they knew more about the SAT.  

However, this year, administering the ACT for New Trier has been difficult because ISBE cannot help them much because they are more knowledgeable on the SAT than the ACT. This has put more work on the New Trier administration to figure out problems and prepare for the test ahead of time. 

“[New Trier’s ACT switch] has been significantly more work on the administration, significantly more tasks to complete the testing ahead of time, more hours worked, and [it’s] hopefully still a smooth test, but it was harder,” Testing Manager Erin Torrisi said. 

The switch from SAT to ACT also caused a change in how Illinois tests students’ science abilities. Since the ACT has a science section, and the SAT does not, juniors do not have to take the previously state-mandated Illinois Science Assessment test. Besides its ACT’s science section, the ACT and SAT also have different formats which can benefit students accordingly. 

“The benefit will lie with the test-taker,” Post High School Counselor Heather Ecklund said. “The test formats are different, the timing is different, and the scoring is different. One test is not better than the other for all students.”

For junior Charlotte Coatar, she benefited from taking the ACT at New Trier because she chose to study for it over the SAT

“I chose to take the ACT because I realized I preferred it over the SAT format when we took it in April,” Coatar said. 

However, students choosing to specifically study for the SAT, like James Balyasny, still had to take the ACT. For Balyasny, taking the ACT, even when he didn’t study for it, made him feel slightly inconvenienced. 

“I’m taking the SAT. Why am I bothering with the ACT?” Balyansy said. 

Even though New Trier officially administers the ACT, students still have the opportunity prepare for both the SAT and ACT through New Trier’s SAT and ACT preparation class in the fall and winter, and students’ regular in-class instruction teaches them skills such as critical thinking and evaluating resources that prepare students for both standardized tests and life. 

“New Trier prepares kids for life beyond New Trier, and because of all of the things that happen in the classroom and the rich and rigorous teaching and learning that occur, that’s why I think our students do so well on these tests,” Tillery said.

In the classroom, besides the rigorous education they receive, students can also prepare for the ACT by working hard and challenging themselves in their classes. 

“The best way to prepare for the ACT is to take courses that will appropriately

challenge you and encourage academic growth,” Ecklund said. “Every day that you show up to class, put in your best effort, ask meaningful questions, and work to understand the concepts being taught.”

For the next five years, New Trier will be legally required to administer the ACT, and in order for New Trier to switch back to  the SAT, College Board will likely have to give ISBE a lower bid than ACT Inc. For now, New Trier is still adjusting to administering the ACT, and is working out their ACT problems. 

“Some of these [problems] are growing pains, or things that we’re learning,” Tillery said. “We’ll work out some kinks, and it’s a digital test, so there will probably always be some glitches that are outside of our control. But, I think things that we’re learning, we’re able to fix.”