Up to 46%. That means there exists one school where 46% of the students get accommodations.
Usually when you look closely at data such as this you discover an explanation for the outlier. Perhaps this one school is small: say it had 9 students, and 4 of them one year got accommodations; that would be 44%.
There is little value in knowing what the highest percentage of accommodations granted is, for one outlier school in the whole US. What’s the average for private schools? What’s the average for elite private schools? What’s the average for elite public schools?
One could argue that it will make it easier for hardworking, honest REAL athletes to get in as recruited athletes, as steps will be taken to keep those spots from being sold to non-athlete frauds.
And FYI to everyone out there. It is not the “bank’s” fault he mortgaged his home. The borrower did.
And guess what, he might not be able to pay them back now. And the bank will be the villain for actually wanting to be paid or to sell the house to get paid back. Because it’s not the bank’s money, it’s all of our money.
But so sad and so unnecessary. Like any other school wouldnt have been just as great for her. I can not fathom it all and the fallout on these lives. Terrible.
@cellomom2 “but I’ve been thinking that if every student had to go through some type of audition process such as music students do that would be a lot harder to fake. I know it’s not practical so just wishful thinking.”
That’s pretty much the Oxbridge interview system, many/most of which involve unseen tests/analyses/worksheets given to interviewees as well. They are also designed to try see how the applicants think/problem solve rather than just know the test answers. The sheer volume of applicants in the US probably makes that untenable though.
“According to the College Board, up to 46% of students at elite high schools receive special testing accommodations, including extra time. The natural proportion of learning disabilities should be somewhere around 2%.”
Maybe this number is true. But I really doubt that the parents are doing this primarily for the purpose of getting the test time accommodations.
Would love to know how many of these kids, for example, are on meds like ritalin. I bet a LOT. How many were diagnosed with an LD for the first time in HS? Or in elementary school?
But if this is a problem, it is a really stupid problem to have created. And it is easily fixed.
Let’s have ACT and SAT come up with a test that doesn’t hinge on time pressure. Problem literally 100% solved!!
Testing accommodations is absolutely, routinely abused at my children’s rigorous private school. I couldn’t begin to cite numbers but it’s obvious to the students there because they also get extra time on midterm and finals at school. It’s a touchy subject and any questioning of it gets parents extremely mad.
That’s not what was going on with this scandal, however.
I too would really love to see the source of stat that 46% percent of kids at elite schools get special accommodations.
The figure is mentioned in numerous news accounts and attributed to College Board. But I can’t discern if this is reliable info or one of those “internet facts.” It certainly is repeated in the media echo chamber, but what’s the original source? Beware of info repeated so often that people “know” it’s true when nobody actually knows where it came from.
In past threads, people have mentioned unusually high rates of kids with extra-time accommodations at one of the private schools in the Los Angeles area and at at least one of the New England prep schools.
Thanks to anyone who can shed more light on this and guide us to reliable numbers.
"The natural proportion of learning disabilities should be somewhere around 2 percent, the College Board said, but at some elite schools, up to 46 percent of students receive special accommodations to take the tests, including extra time. "
Sure heli parents will try to push the limits. But again, the solution is so easy. Give everyone 1.5 time and stop trying to police this. Would be the most fair by far – since all those lesser resourced kids with LDs but without a thick file would get the extra time they actually deserve.
Ultimately, the question is whether you know something or not. Not how fast you can spit it out. Time matters for a track meet, but why does it matter for calculus? You could give me a month to do a calc test and I would still fail.
Some studies show that the time pressure is a small impact on test scores if you don’t actually have an LD.
I’ll have to go back and find the post that had the link. The poster also referenced her own kid’s school where it is an issue.
Also, I in no way ever implied that I think kids with accommodations should not have their privacy respected. I just think it’s laughable that someone would go out of his way and most likely pay to seek unnecessary accommodations for a child.
I think getting rid of timed tests is the way to go.
I would also like to know who Singer warned that he was wired. Seems like that should have nullified any lenient treatment he was expecting in exchange for cooperating.
@bester1 Good article. Lots of conversation around the unnecessary prestige arms race. And the lottery idea, so often scoffed as lunacy, has some people talking.
Minimum standards and holistic review. X percentage approved as qualified. All out there for everyone to see. Certain important societal decisions such as income levels and race ok to include. Perhaps a scoring system and you receive points to your score for these other factors.
Not perfect but a lot more transparent. You could actually fight that your score is inaccurate.
Once the pool is identified at the schools for those who applied to you are notified.
You choose up to 10 schools perhaps. And a national lottery day and/or Match day type lottery is held. Done.
There will have to be supplemental match opportunities for those shut out like med schools use or openings for spots not accepted. Then round two match etc.
According to the indictment, Singer was caught trying to protect some people and charged with obstruction of justice for this. One of the charges against him is obstruction of justice.
Someone correct me if I am wrong (I am not a parent of a recruited athlete) but for the highly selective D3 schools, athletes are recruited and get slots or tips or whatever with admissions from the coach, but then are not obligated to play the sport anyway, correct? Everything is non-binding so they can take advantage of their slot but decide to never play and it would not be an issue at all.
… What you think, the number went up or down. I let you guys decide!