Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Major Changes in SAT Announced by College Board

Bingo.

My DH and I have raised our 14yo with precisely those things in mind. We don't really care if she's a stellar high school student-- but more that she's actually prepared well for college (and what comes after), which (increasingly) seems to be "in spite of the efforts of the K-12 educational system as it now exists in this country."

This is the way it seems to have been intended, way back when these assessments began.

Some may feel sadder if this was not allowed... citing a broad array of reasons why they may need a feel to cram and "catch up" to make up for lost time.

Some may say that using a book (as mentioned by previous posters) is a method of test prep accessible to all?

The tests are meant to identify academic differences.

I would say students who speak mainly another language has to prepare. I learned English as a subject. But I did not learn Math in English. So I at least need to know how Math in English looks like to be on level playing field with the native speakers of English.

I think everyone can get higher scores by prep. But few people can get close to 2400 no matter how they prepped. At least that is how I felt when I took it 20 years ago.

According to the College Board report "SAT Benchmarks
Development of a College Readiness Benchmark and its
Relationship to Secondary and Postsecondary School Performance"
https://research.collegeboard.org/s...ness-benchmark-secondary-performance.pdf

in 43% of the 2010 cohort were "ready". Even if the same fraction of all groups were ready, the higher earnings and other favorable outcomes of college graduates would motivate policymakers to raise this fraction. (I don't think it's possible, because of the IQ distribution without further degrading the BA.)

There is a further problem. According to the report, only 15% of blacks and 24% of Hispanics, vs. 53% of whites were ready. Only 15% of the children of non-high-school gradates were ready, compared to 52% and 68% of the children of parents with bachelors's and graduate degrees. It is very politically incorrect to assert that that these groups differences reflect real differences in ability that cannot be bridged. It's easier to talk about the malign influence of test prep and promise to create a new test impervious to test prep and producing much smaller gaps, while still predicting college grades. Actually making such a test will be more difficult.

From what I can gather and infer, the SAT was originally not a test of knowledge as much as aptitude for learning.

This was needed to truly level the playing field so that people from the best prep schools would be on an even footing with those that had been taught in one room rural schoolhouses.

The facts that the people sitting the test had retained from their education were less important than being able to demonstrate that they were 'teachable' and that they had an innate ability to reason. The SAT at that time was a good proxy for 'g'.

Over the first 3 decades of its widespread use it had a tremendous meritocratic effect on American society and many returning servicemen were able to take advantage of the GI bills and rise from poverty blighted circumstances to being affluent and respected members of the professional class.

There was one fatal flaw; it was too fair - could not be prepped for. Worse yet, people that weren't very clever - from the affluent to the poorest - were not making the cut.

So from 1974 onwards the SAT has been steadily dumbed down. Dumbing it down allowed it to be prepped for and prepping costs money. What started off as a paragon of fairness was twisted into the mess that we have today. A test that allows affluent parents to have their offspring coached into getting perfect scores while children from disadvantaged schools are left far behind.

The SAT does need changing - changing back to being more 'g' loaded not less.

{raises hand}

Um-- I'm a person who believes that those values don't reflect a real ability gap. (Referring to Bostonian's post above)

With that said, however, such measures are profoundly stupid from my perspective as a taxpayer because they are ineffective.

Ill-prepared students do NOT graduate from college. If they do, they graduate with degrees that leave them relatively ill-prepared for the workplace.

Ergo, I do not want my tax dollars subsidizing college education (a somewhat scarce resource) for anyone that isn't LIKELY to make good use of that subsidization. It's a subtle distinction, but rather like the difference between "investment" and "gambling."



It's too little too late when we're talking about high school students who are demonstrably 2-6 years BEHIND their well-prepared peers. Even a reasonably bright student is going to have difficulty cramming 8 years of study into the next four, yet we seem to be operating under the delusion that remediation can, in point of fact, "bring them up to where they should be" once they are ENROLLED in college.

That's not a racial issue, but it is a question of "advantage/disadvantage" that also happens to break along SES and racial lines.

I'm frankly indignant that the only "solution" to this pervasive problem seems to be to hit the accelerator on the train, now that we've noticed that the brakes have failed and we're running out of track. Rather crazy to think this is going anywhere good, IMO.

Soon we will have to ! We came here for Higher institutions, great idea, great research...and I feel last 8 years the decline has been rapid with the push for equality at the cost of robbing the fruits of labor of handwork, intelligence and sacrifice...
By lower academic standards , you are making this country great ??? Alas !
Equality is Noble but for that you must enforce Equality in hard work and sacrifice (financial , emotional, social)

It just breaks my heart that now children who want to work hard and be smart/gifted...are no longer going to be rewarded !! I really thought that this administration knew better than to completely derail this country !

I refuse to lower the Bar for My kids - because we want to learn More and they are capable of learning more ! They value Knowledge more than the material bounties!

I have no problems with making the preparation for ACT/ Sat etc available for underprivileged kids ! That is leveling the playing field, don't lower the standards.

I am surprised that all this is going on unopposed !

This is my understanding as well.

Meanwhile CBS late-night TV comedian David Letterman did a brief faux news announcement, giving the top ten questions on the easier SAT.

Going on unopposed? The College Board is a FOR PROFIT Corporation. It is not a government agency. It can decided to do whatever it thinks will make it the most profit. It might think it's better business decision to market more towards the average student. We don't have to like it. We don't have to use their product. There is the ACT and there are institutions that will admit students without testing.

I'm confused you say you "feel" there has been a decline in higher education in the US for the past 8 years. Can you be more quantitative? What specific makes you think that US Higher Institutions have been going downhill?

As to colleges setting basic standards, many schools already set their own minimum standards. For example Cal State Schools (Long Beach State, San Jose State, etc) have a new requirements (the past 3-4 years) that everyone who enters the university have minimum math & writing skills. One does not NEED to take the SAT/ACT to get in IF ones grades are good enough. But one needs to demonstrate by passing a system wide math & writing test to enroll You can be exempted from taking the test with high enough SAT, ACT, or AP test scores. These tests aren't necessary for admission, but if a student doesn't pass them they must pass Remedial class before they enroll. And these classes no longer count towards graduation.

It is officially a non-profit, with it's 2011-2012 ANNUAL PHILANTHROPIC STEWARDSHIP REPORT http://media.collegeboard.com/homeOrg/content/pdf/Annual-Philanthropic-Stewardship-Report.pdf stating

"The College Board is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit membership organization committed to excellence and equity in education."

Coleman believes that revamping the SAT and making preparation free on Khan Academy will increase equity.