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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,640 Likes: 2
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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/n...d-to-drop-dreaded-erb-entrance-test.htmlPrivate Schools Are Expected to Drop a Dreaded Entrance Test By JAVIER C. HERNÁNDEZ New York Times September 19, 2013 For generations, families have dreaded and despised the exam used to determine the fate of 4- and 5-year-olds seeking entry into the elite world of New York City private schools.
But next year, the test, commonly known as the E.R.B., is likely to be dropped as an entry requirement by most of the schools. A group representing the schools announced this week that, because of concerns that the popularity of test-preparation programs and coaching had rendered its results meaningless, it would no longer recommend that its members use the test.
“It creates a lot of anxiety in families and kids that is unnecessary,” said Patricia Hayot, the head of Chapin School, who leads the group, the Independent School Admissions Association of Greater New York. “We’re being brave. We’re trying to explore a new way.”
The decision quickly upended the frenzied arena of private school admissions. The association represents 130 private and independent schools, including some of the city’s most respected institutions: The Dalton School, Riverdale Country School and Packer Collegiate Institute, among others.
While the schools are free to continue using the exam, Dr. Hayot said she expected the vast majority to scrap it after the association’s contract with the exam’s administrator ends next spring. (At least one school, Horace Mann, said on Thursday that it would stick with the test.)
For years, public and private schools across the country have grappled with questions about the value of standardized admissions exams. The city’s Education Department, responding to concerns that too many children were being coached for the test to enter gifted and talented programs, modified its own exam this year, which backfired when even more students qualified for the programs.
[...]
The E.R.B. test is derived from an exam known as the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, which measures, among other things, vocabulary and the ability to identify geometric shapes. At many admissions offices, test scores are considered alongside interviews with prospective families and students, recommendations from preschools and observations of students in group settings. Too many Bostonians in NYC . I agree with Steve Sailer's comments on this article, "Private Manhattan kindergartens to replace IQ admissions test with ... something" at http://isteve.blogspot.com/2013/09/private-manhattan-kindergartens-to.html .
Last edited by Bostonian; 09/20/13 04:09 AM. Reason: Sailer reference
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New York City is a special place. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/e...umbered-a-95-just-wasnt-good-enough.htmlYour 4-Year-Old Scored a 95? Better Luck Next Time: Abandoning E.R.B. Test May Also Put End to a Status Symbol By WINNIE HU and KYLE SPENCER New York Times September 25, 2013 When other preschool parents bragged that their children had aced the admission test for New York City private schools with a top score of 99 in every section, Justine Oddo stayed quiet. Her twin boys had not done as well.
“It seemed like everyone got 99s,” recalled Ms. Oddo as her sons, now 7, scampered around a playground near Fifth Avenue. “Kids you thought weren’t that smart got 99s. It was demoralizing. It made me think my kids are not as smart as the rest of the kids.”
Her sons’ scores? Between them, they had one 99 and the rest 95s, which would still put them in the top 5 percent of all children nationwide.
A decision last week by a group of private schools to move away from the test, commonly known as the E.R.B., will spare many 4- and 5-year-olds from a rite of New York childhood that dates back half a century. But it could also bring an end to a particular New York status symbol — a child with knockout scores — and to the uncomfortable conversations that occur each year when results start rolling in.
From the Upper East Side to Brooklyn, score-dropping in playdates and parks is common, with high marks flaunted by the parents of children who excel with 99s and anguished over by those who have to explain anything less.
One wealthy couple even celebrated their daughter’s 99s by throwing a catered bash at their Hamptons home with their closest preschool friends, said Bige Doruk, founder of Bright Kids NYC, which prepares several hundred children for the test every year. “I was thinking to myself, ‘What are they going to do when their kid gets into their school of choice?’” she said.
On urbanbaby.com, the Web site where parents chat about their children, the ubiquitous 99s prompted one person to question whether that score was really special since “they seem to be a dime a dozen.” In response came complaints of rampant test-prepping and outright lying.
"To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle." - George Orwell
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Joined: Jan 2008
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It says some will drop. But since most of those parents also do the modified SBV for Hunter Elementary, they will probably go with those scores. That was the problem for many people is that you ended up doing the public school test, the ERB and then SBV.
The public school test was the OLSAT but do not know anymore what they are doing now.
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Joined: Aug 2010
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It says some will drop. But since most of those parents also do the modified SBV for Hunter Elementary, they will probably go with those scores. That was the problem for many people is that you ended up doing the public school test, the ERB and then SBV.
The public school test was the OLSAT but do not know anymore what they are doing now. Public school is now half OLSAT half nnat (naglieri). But with the Pearson grading scandal last year rumor was they were going to change it but haven't as of yet. And hunter is talking about creating their own test because they are so fed up with the prepping - according to DS's tester. DeHe
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I think creating one's own test and changing it every year is the only way out for these schools. Otherwise it isn't fair. This whole thing is bonkers.
Although--is it possible to prep for IQ tests in the same way? The content is very closely guarded, right? I assume it isn't as much for this ERB test and that's why it's so out of hand?
Jeez, at some point they should probably just pick names out of a hat. It would probably turn out about the same.
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Does anyone watch Bang Goes the Theory? They did spatial reasoning tests and then had them do brain exercises for a few weeks and retake the test, the results were remarkable.
I think all parents on this site were active with their babies, talking to them, reading to them, doing wooden puzzle shapes. If you did nothing but feed and change them, how different would their scores be?
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My understanding is that gains like that can be realized through brain exercises, but are usually temporary and specific.
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I think creating one's own test and changing it every year is the only way out for these schools. Otherwise it isn't fair. This whole thing is bonkers.
Although--is it possible to prep for IQ tests in the same way? The content is very closely guarded, right? I assume it isn't as much for this ERB test and that's why it's so out of hand? I don't think there is much difference between the ERB and IQ tests. Any test that becomes an entrance exam will be prepared for. Amazon has a book for <$10, "Testing for Kindergarten: Simple Strategies to Help Your Child Ace the Tests for: Public School Placement, Private School Admissions, Gifted Program Qualification" by Karen Quinn. Chapter 4 is titled "The 7 Abilities of Highly Successful Kindergarteners: What every test measures and what your child needs to know: language, knowledge/comprehension, memory, visual, spatial, cognitive, and fine-motor skills". I don't have the book, but the index lists many pages for both Wechsler and Stanford-Binet. I consider using a book sold openly on Amazon to be fair game. Test publishers would sue the book publisher and/or Amazon if the book revealed trade secrets. There are probably sites and people, especially testers, who go further than this and cross the line.
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Amazon has a book for <$10, "Testing for Kindergarten: Simple Strategies to Help Your Child Ace the Tests for: Public School Placement, Private School Admissions, Gifted Program Qualification" by Karen Quinn. Chapter 4 is titled "The 7 Abilities of Highly Successful Kindergarteners: What every test measures and what your child needs to know: language, knowledge/comprehension, memory, visual, spatial, cognitive, and fine-motor skills". I don't have the book, but the index lists many pages for both Wechsler and Stanford-Binet. Successful kindergartners? To me, this seems like iron-clad evidence of an education system that left the rails long ago.
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Joined: Apr 2013
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Although--is it possible to prep for IQ tests in the same way? The content is very closely guarded, right? Unfortunately there are some who value making a buck more than they value ethics, so some have created IQ test rip-offs, look-alikes, and preps. There are also parents who do not value ethics, and/or rationalize by conflating "IQ test prep" with "providing stimulation and enrichment in the child's area of interest".
In general: - achievement test prep is fine and provides accurate results - IQ test prep is not OK as it does not provide accurate results While private schools may do their own thing, often justifying high tuition by creating a marketing situation in which demand exceeds supply, a shortage of seats in private schools may indicate that there is sufficient demand for an enterprising capitalist to invest in opening another local school offering advanced academics. On the public school side, rather the current "divide and conquer" practice of having families compete with each other for a seat in an academically advanced program, consider what fixing this rut in the road would look like. Instead of accepting the all-or-nothing gatekeeper approach by tests and lottery, might the supply of advanced academic education be increased to meet demand? Ask yourself: Is there a building shortage? (Y/N) Are there enough school buildings, classrooms, and seats for all children? (Y/N) Is there a teacher shortage? (Y/N) Are there enough teachers? (Y/N) Is there a shortage of continuing education credits? (Y/N) Are there enough professional development programs for teachers? (Y/N) Are there enough self-education (autodidactic) opportunities for teachers, including Davidson Educator's Guild and YouTube videos, SENG webinars (SENGinars), free information on Hoagies, expert blogs, parent forums, local and regional parent group meetings, and more? (Y/N)
With a sufficient supply of buildings, classrooms, seats, teachers, and teacher educational opportunities, the solution to fixing this rut in the road may be utilizing more of the available resources (buildings, teachers, continuing ed opportunities) to offer more units/sections/classes as advanced academic education, individually tailored to each student's progress... Re-purposing general ed seats for advanced academic seats to meet demand. In increasing supply to meet the demand, some elements might include: Cluster grouping in each subject by readiness and ability. Use of online programs which allow students to progress at their own pace. Establishing relationships with nearby college/university for upper level classes as needed. Considering "school within a school" concept when appropriate. Innately gifted kids, hothoused kids, those with high potential from impoverished backgrounds would all benefit. Moving the ceiling up helps all kids, as hard workers in the middle may see that there is something to strive for when the ceiling is lifted. These are not new ideas, they have all been implemented previously to some degree. Here is one book which may be of interest: Inevitable, Mass Customized Learning, Learning in the Age of Empowerment, by Charles Schwahn & Beatrice McGarvey (link- http://masscustomizedlearning.com/) Some may especially enjoy the chart on Control Theory / Support Theory found on page 83. A snippet from a statement of strong belief on that page, reads, in part: "...Teachers are intelligent, capable, and caring people who would love to have all intrinsically motivated learners who would achieve and achieve... but they work in an outdated, ingrained group-paced system that makes it nearly impossible to take advantage of our natural motivation to learn."
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