Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Purported effectivness of SAT prep classes - facts?

Perhaps I am wrong but what I have read over the years has given me the impression that these prep classes the educational equivalent of colonic irrigation treatments. Something people with more money than sense spend their money on that has NO proven benefit.

A bit of an exaggeration perhaps but what little benefit these classes confer is only an insignificant number of points - certainly not enough to make a dullard appear to be the next Leonardo DI Vinci.

However, I repeatedly see this in the Press as though it is an established fact that SAT prep classes confer a significant advantage to those with moneyed parents:-





Full article here...


Some of the people leaving comments appear to be considering the actual facts as opposed to their imaginations or flawed reasoning powers.

Importantly, does anyone know of the studies on SAT prep classes and would they mind sharing them, please?

If I am wrong rwgarding the conclusions that I have drawn, please correct me...

This study showed an increase of up to 60 points from the most intensive test prep methods. The students in the data set would have been seniors in 1992, when 1600 was the maximum score.
http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/satprep.htm

Probably based on the same data set, but lacking the distinctions of levels of test prep, this article claims the benefit was only 30 points, and that a great deal of families are getting fleeced due to bogus claims by test prep professionals: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124278685697537839

Since then the writing section was added. That section is particularly vulnerable to gaming: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/...ith_grading_instruction_and_prompts.html

Thanks!

There is so much financial gain to be made from companies that offer these courses, and so many vulnerable students and families are affected by this.

However, some children do seem to benefit from studying and prep - and so much depends on the child, the tutor, the setting, the particular child's needs, etc. My experience has been that studying the guides may be enough; however, for unmotivated students and those who benefit from more structure, an individual tutor who can focus in on his/her needs is preferable to a class.

Unfortunately, there is a widespread assumption that kids who have high SAT scores, particularly if they reside in suburban areas, are the products of test prep and that alone accounts for their scores. This diminishes their abilities, and promotes what I believe is the false assumption that with test prep, anyone can do well on these tests.

Somewhat related blog post: Test Score Gaps in California Increasingly Driven by Race, Not Class. One would not expect this if SAT score gaps were primarily caused by differential access to high-priced SAT prep classes.

My experience is it is the the top kids who are spending the most money & time on test prep. Elite 4-5 hours a day all summer long test prep is a BIG thing for the 'highly motivated' straight A top students in my area. These students can change their scores by 40-100 or so points withe enough practice. And if your changing from a 1480 to a 1550 (out of 1600) can make a difference to elite college admissions. Particularly if you are from an ethnic makeup where you are discriminated against.

On the other hand I've heard these elite test prep centers usually give them false low scores on their first "sample" test so it looks like their improvements are greater than they are. And yes these test centers are very rigid study experiences. Lots and lots of repetition of the same material over & over again.

On the other hand I do believe that some test prep can be helpful and make a small amount of difference. Had my DS take a sample SAT cold and he overthought many of the math questions.

Elite students by definition do not need to cram for hours a day on SAT math, which is middle school math for elite students, over the summer after 11th grade. They should be preparing for things like the AMC 12. The SAT verbal is more difficult to prepare for than the SAT math. I don't think reading comprehension can be taught beyond a certain point.

I'll have my children go through books by Kaplan, Princeton Review, or Barron's, in addition to the materials provided by the College Board. Elite colleges want cool extracurriculars too, so there is an opportunity cost to spending hundreds of hours on test prep.

I think there is a benefit to doing at least one full length timed mock SAT (and then doing the post mortem where any wrong answers are reviewed).

They typically cram summer after 10th grade not 11th to prepare for the SAT. Some of them prepare for the AMC12 as well.

Because SAT math is middle school math for elite kids sometimes they can use a refresher. But IMO this doesn't take 8 weeks 4 hours a day plus homework. I'm not saying what they SHOULD do I'm saying what I see students doing.

Many of these students are elite students because they spend all waking hours cramming. SAT test is just another "subject" to cram.

And being familiar with all the directions and what they really want and which formulas will be provided...I think the princeton book (well at least the one in the 1990s when I was teaching SAT prep at a study center) was the best one for teaching you to be very familiar with the directions (don't have to waste time on them) and knowing more information about the test (helpful for overthinkers).