By Jennifer Mrozowski
Enquirer staff writer

Emily Edeburn, 16, a junior at St. Ursula Academy, does homework in the quiet of her bedroom Tuesday at her Kenwood home. Emily is a bit concerned about the new SAT essay portion. (Craig Ruttle photo)

SAT CHANGES

Significant changes are coming for the SAT in March 2005; the old test will be given to juniors for the last time this fall. How the test will differ: • Duration: Three hours and 45 minutes; 45 minutes longer. • Score: The new test will have three sections instead of two, and 2400 will be the maximum possible score, up from the current 1600. • Writing: This new 60-minute section includes multiple-choice questions on grammar and writing. There will also be a 25-minute timed essay, in which students must evaluate and respond to either a pair of quotations or a short paragraph drawn from a text. • Math: Algebra II-level content will be added and quantitative comparisons eliminated. Section is 70 minutes and includes 44 multiple-choice questions and 10 with student-produced responses. Critical reading: Formerly called verbal, this 70-minute section includes 48 reading-comprehension questions concerning passages 100 to 850 words long, and 19 sentence-completion questions. The test also includes questions in writing, critical reading or math whose answers do not count toward student scores. The College Board uses this 25-minute section to test new questions. Take a sample test.

One of the most popular college-entrance exams is about to get longer and tougher, and will challenge students with its first-ever essay portion.

That has teens concerned about their impromptu writing skills, their spelling and even their penmanship - a long-forgotten subject in many schools - as they prepare for the new SAT.

Tuesday, the College Board released SAT scores showing that the national average was unchanged at 1026, with a slight uptick on the verbal test.

But some kids worry that the new essay being incorporated into the test next spring could put an end to that increase.

Blame that on tech-savvy teens who rely on their computers' "copy and paste" or "spell check" functions - luxuries they won't have when hand-writing their 25-minute SAT essays.

Megan Ossim, 16, a Mason High School junior, said she prefers writing essays on the computer.

"All the essays we have to write for school, we always need to type, so we don't need to worry too much about spelling or making a mistake," she said. "When typing, I can get my ideas written down faster and then easily erase something if I don't like it later."

SAT officials say they incorporated the new essay and writing portion because colleges grade students' writing differently than high schools. Colleges tend to be more rigorous, they said, and they hope the new SAT will push schools to emphasize the importance of writing. The new test also incorporates more algebra and new multiple-choice questions on grammar.

About 35,000 Ohio students took the test last school year. The "old" test will be given one last time this fall; the new SAT debuts in March 2005.

Some teens say the new essay could be a challenge. Besides the loss of their computerized tools, some say that abbreviated words and alternative spellings - commonplace in this age of instant messaging and cell phone text messages - could creep into their essays.

But school officials say timed writing has become a focus in schools, especially because it's also a feature of state tests, like the new Ohio Graduation Test and Kentucky's Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS) tests. Kentucky also requires that students produce writing portfolios at some grades.

"We start embedding those skills early, at seventh grade," said Barbara Houser, English teacher at Mount Healthy High School. "Hopefully, by their 12th-grade year, it's just extension and reinforcement, they're at ease and they can really write well-constructed essays."

Norwood Schools will focus on non-fiction writing in every class and using short-answer and extended-written responses in tests, especially math and science, said Kristina Chesson, the district's director of curriculum and assessment.

Princeton schools are expanding their use of extended-response questions weekly in classes across the district.

Kenton County schools have been practicing writing essays on demand for more than a decade so students are prepared for the CATS tests. But one teacher said the new SAT essay might be an unfair measurement of writing ability.

"My concern is that I don't think it is the best indicator of a student's skills," said Niki Locklear, the district's technology resource teacher. "We would never want to accept a letter that someone had written on the spur of the moment. If they were applying for a job, you would want to see the best writing."

Emily Edeburn, 16, a junior at St. Ursula Academy, is concerned about writing under pressure.

"I need to be in my own little zone, and be able to concentrate and take my time to get my thoughts together," she said.

When she writes longhand for draft essays now, Edeburn likes to proofread, cross out things, write notes in the margins and then correct her work. But she knows that won't be the process for the SAT. She's also concerned about her handwriting, which some teachers have trouble reading.

But other students who fancy themselves strong writers think the essay will give them a boost.

"I'm really excited about the new writing section," said junior Allison Simmons of Cincinnati Christian High School in Fairfield Township. "I've always done well when it comes to writing so this new development on the SAT won't hinder me any."

For more information on the new SAT, visit www.collegeboard.com

E-mail jmrozowski@enquirer.com