Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Taking SAT before age 10

Jan 23 2016 the last date that the current already dumbed down SAT Maths test will be available.

After that date it will have an even lower ceiling so that Mass Education(TM) can claim that even more students are College Ready (TM).

This might be a motivator here.

Well said.

Not familiar with the lowering of standards on the SAT test. I just found this article.

http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/article...-should-know-about-the-new-sat-math-test

Can some point to any study on this?

Cutting down on geometry, substituting in data analysis simple enough for non STEM majors to handle while studying for undergraduate degrees and allowing calculators is dumbing down in my book.

Let's not beat about the bush here - the SAT changes are politically motivated and they are being made to give people with lower aptitude for Maths a chance to appear better than they actually are. Lowering the ceiling is moving in the wrong direction.

All so that companies like Pearson can slap themselves on the back (and collect fat government cheques) for delivering dross to those kids not fortunate enough to have involved parents that can spot this BS a continent away.

Agreed, but with one caveat: dross for all.

Letting the college board speak for itself, the new SAT is described here: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/, which includes, in part: The College Board does not cite the research it is referring to. Despite an emphasis on ostensibly encouraging "access", "critical thinking", reading of primary source documents, and "data analysis", ironically the College Board does not empower the public with access to source documents or data to analyze and think critically about, to weigh what is driving the College Board changes to the SAT and Suite of College Assessments.

Some may say this lack of "access" and transparency is poor role modeling on the part of the College Board. Possibly the College Board believes it is powerful beyond questioning or reproach.

Some may say that College Board withholding the source(s) of mentioned research may tend to indicate that the research is not convincing and/or does not come out strongly in favor of the changes. Another possibility, ignoring chronological order, is that pressure is being applied to higher education institutions, to provide the answers that College Board wants, retroactively, in order to seemingly have driven the changes already made. Interested parties may contact College Board to inquire about the mentioned research and request that it be made public and easily accessible on the College Board webpage on which it is mentioned.

Meanwhile, if it helps the OP to know which version of the test their child would take, this link presents a chart of cutover dates. As mentioned upthread by another poster, the redesigned SAT will be administered beginning in March 2016.

Those interested in validity and reliability may wish to turn their attention to the College Board claim that the SAT was redesigned "to measure the essential ingredients for college and career readiness and success, as shown by research" and possibly question details of that undisclosed research.

Soon the SAT changes will be impacting ALL students, including those under age 10.