SAT in 6th grade...

merepoule
Sat, 06 May 2006 11:09:15 +0000

I have met one parent who had her 6th grader take the SAT and my husband just heard on NPR about this being routine in some schools (some middle school children taking it monthly, just for practice). I have always hated these tests because they test to a great extent test-taking skills rather than knowledge. My daughter did really well, without studying or extra practice but she is just ‘good’ at these things…my son is equally ‘smart’ but doesn’t test as well because he gets nervous. Why is it that only tests taken after high school ‘show up’ on a student’s record. It is unfair enough that a student who takes a test ‘cold-turkey’ is judged against students who have taken it repeatedly. I guess the argument would be that everyone is allowed to take the test in middle school, but why would we want to do this to our kids? Why do we accept this system? Why don’t we move to a baccalaureat system which really tests what a student has learned and how they apply that knowledge (more like APs). By the way, in France, they manage to get a nation-wide, non-computerized test graded in under 3 weeks…we have to wait much longer for SAT results!! And SAT tests cost more too!