Originally Posted by Ultralight Hiker
Originally Posted by Bostonian
Whenever admissions are competitive, whether it's for gifted elementary schools, selective middle schools, or selective colleges, some parents will try to prepare their children. I don't think this is a big problem, partly because the effects of test prep are usually found to be small in studies.

Evidence? Test prep certainly helps with the SAT.

Not by much:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124278685697537839.html
SAT Coaching Found to Boost Scores -- Barely
Study Results Run Counter to Test-Prep Course Claims; How Colleges Fuel Industry
By JOHN HECHINGER
Wall Street Journal
May 20, 2009

Families can spend thousands of dollars on coaching to help college-bound students boost their SAT scores. But a new report finds that these test-preparation courses aren't as beneficial as consumers are led to believe.

The report, to be released Wednesday by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, criticizes common test-prep-industry marketing practices, including promises of big score gains with no hard data to back up such claims. The report also finds fault with the frequent use of mock SAT tests because they can be devised to inflate score gains when students take the actual SAT. The association represents 11,000 college admissions officers, high-school guidance counselors and private advisors.

...

The college counselors' report concludes that, on average, prep courses yield only a modest benefit, "contrary to the claims made by many test-preparation providers." It found that SAT coaching resulted in about 30 points in score improvement on the SAT, out of a possible 1600, and less than one point out of a possible 36 on the ACT, the other main college-entrance exam, says Derek Briggs, chairman of the research and methodology department at the University of Colorado in Boulder and author of the admissions counselors' report.

The report was prepared by reviewing numerous academic studies from past years that examined the impact of test preparation on SAT scores. The studies predated the addition of the writing section of the SAT in 2005, which increased the possible score total to 2400 from 1600.


I think the report being discussed is "Preparation for
College Admission Exams" http://www.nacacnet.org/research/Pu...ce/Documents/TestPrepDiscussionPaper.pdf