The Washington Post (3/17, Anderson) reports that as the College Board “aims to start a national crusade for college access” by overhauling its SAT test, the group “faces a major hurdle” in that the usage of the test declined in 29 states in the nine years since its last major revision. The article compares this with the ACT, which saw declines in only three states. Moreover, “the SAT also had declining usage in some states where its presence is greater than the ACT’s.”

Mathews: SAT Nothing To Fear. In his “Class Struggle” column in the Washington Post (3/17), Jay Mathews writes about the widespread fear that is associated with the SAT, calling it and the ACT “the most discussed and feared exams in the country.” He writes, however, that his research has led him to conclude that the tests’ impact on the college admissions process is negligible, noting that most colleges “will take almost anybody with decent grades.” He writes that FairTest’s Bob Schaeffer “recommends that students take the most challenging high school courses they can handle, get deeply involved in one or two activities, and get to know one or two teachers very well.”