Well, I should start off by saying that they certainly aren't pointless, and to a degree, have the potential to segregate accomplished students from not-so-accomplished students. But why are students mandated to take these exams for nearly all top-tiered colleges and universities?
It makes sense; school grades cannot be "standardized" throughout the country, and only a standardized test administered throughout the nation can do so. But this raises a few alarming questions:
Why must it be the SAT or ACT?
Studies have consistently shown that the SAT and ACT are relatively poor predictors of college success. There certainly are many instances in which a scorer has a sub-par GPA but near-perfect scores and vice versa; so who is more "ready" for college?
Of course, high school grades have shown to predict college success nearly three times more accurately than the SAT or ACT can. However, several other standardized tests also have the capability to estimate how well an individual will do in college, and in my opinion, much better than the SAT or ACT. Take the SAT Subject Tests for example; this exam, still administered by the CollegeBoard, will measure knowledge in a particular subject area. Essentially, a student will learn the course content in a high school class and subsequently take the test, thus directly measuring how much the student has retained.
Critical thinking cannot be compared to knowledge in any regard, which is why I believe the SAT Subject Tests are the best exams currently available to high school students. Though the SAT or ACT may measure the capacity to learn (and I'm sure they don't), isn't it ultimately what you've learned what matters? Just a thought.
Why are these exams privatized?
For the 2011-12 school year, I noticed both a spike in the price of the SAT and ACT at rates higher than inflation. I understand that both the CollegeBoard and American College Testing companies are not-for-profit organizations; however, what is generally disregarded is that these companies operate as corporations seeking a profit and compensate their employees with high paychecks and bonuses...the children of employees even have their college tuition paid for.
It isn't so much the prices that bother me, but more so the amount of power that the CollegeBoard wields. For example, CollegeBoard administers the Advanced Placement (AP) exams, and though the International Baccalaureate (IB) system of Britain can be considered a competitor, it is regularly not offered in American high schools.
Inevitably, the price must deter some testers from taking the exams multiple times, something that is truly unfortunate. I do understand that disadvantaged students are allowed two free attempts, but I am also aware that many of my peers have taken the SAT or ACT nearly four times, something impossible for these disadvantaged students.
The United States government may not possess the resources to administer a federal standardized test (and if it did, it would have the efficiency of the USPS), but I do believe that there should be stricter regulations that the CollegeBoard and American College Testing companies should be subjected to. Preventing obvious oligopolies would be a start, even for not-for-profit organizations.
You want tests administered by the government? What are the EOCs?
ReplyDeleteMore difficult tests of knowledge retention end up only separating people categories of people who memorize well and those who don't.
This is becoming increasingly irrelevant; the internet is slowly growing to become an extension of ourselves. See, it's even a crucial human right now. Look at the outrage when the internet is ever cut off.
Thus, aptitude tests are what we will eventually be left with. They are less biased towards those who simply don't have the opportunity to learn. Perhaps, work is more important than studying? Under optimal conditions, taking SAT/ACT courses and studying from SAT/ACT books and practicing tests simply wouldn't help. But as they are, at least they don't screw disadvantaged populations over as much as AP tests do. See, there are actually people out there who get 1s.
The SAT/ACT are by no means perfect tests. But we have no better alternative (that is cost effective/practical. You find one, you advertise it).
As surprising as it is, the college you go to and what you learn in college is surprisingly inapplicable to your future job. Otherwise we wouldn't need training before we actually start our jobs.
ReplyDeletetl;dr Education is (mostly) a scam.
SAT's and ACT's are merely just a mode of standardization by colleges as a mean of direct comparison. Unfortunately, the knowledge tested in these entrance exams is only a small subset of the knowledge required for success in college.
ReplyDeleteSome have suggested using AP exams as an alternative, for they test specific knowledge that can be tailored to an individual's strengths and interests. Even if classes are not offered at every high school, with proper motivation and resources (the internet is often a great instructor) one can do well on these exams.
High school students should not stress about having to retake a 2200 or 34. I pity those who do, as they fail to understand the minimal marginal value attained from their efforts. Beyond a certain point, these scores become irrelevant. Your actual accomplishments are much more meaningful. Think about it. If you were a college admission's officer would you rather have the kid who spent all summer studying to get a 2400 or the kid used his summer time to publish original research on horseshoe crabs?