Education Law

Abandon the SAT?

While the thought might bring joy to high school students everywhere, it's not quite happening yet. Studies (see here and here) find that SAT scores are no better predictors of college success than high school grades. Critics of the SAT point to the results of these studies to show that the SAT is an unnecessary financial and emotional burden on students. However, the College Board, creator of the SAT, says the studies show that combining the results from the SAT with a student's high school grades provides a stronger prediction of college success than either piece of data separately.

BoardBuzz isn't a huge fan of standardized tests and certainly didn't enjoy taking the SAT back in high school, but getting rid of the SAT may be a bit premature. Getting into college is no easy task nowadays and the SAT and other college admissions tests provide another way for students to demonstrate they are indeed ready to succeed in college. This is especially true for students who may have struggled for a time in high school where their grades may not truly reflect their true ability. Just as standardized testing should be used, the SAT is just one tool college admissions officers rely on to determine if a student should be accepted into their school.

And while we're on our soapbox, BoardBuzz would also like to point out that Congress should take note that test scores are just one measure of student achievement. So, when it comes to grading schools for accountability schools should be not be judged solely on test scores but on multiple measures of student performance like grades and student projects. By doing so, the public will be given a much more accurate picture of their local schools.

For more information about high stakes testing check out the Center for Public Education's Guide to Standards and Testing.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on June 20, 2008 (boomark / email).