Some data from the south. We are an ACT test state and all the publics and many of the large privates will offer an ACT testing day.
But the PSAT and the SAT, now being digital, have created a mess of problems.
Our private school is a bring-your-own-device but it was just too risky to ask 300 kids with their own devices to take the exam, so it was optional for the first time.
Likewise, at another private school many boys had to take the PSAT in the library on school computers because of processing/updating issues with school-issued iPads. This was a scramble the morning of the test.
These schools have lots of resources, plenty of staff, and mostly involved parents/engaged kids.
The question mentioned earlier is how schools with few resources will handle a digital exam.
The SAT has never been widely offered in our large city, but the local University offers it for most testing dates. I really wonder if they will continue to offer the digital SAT. The main issue to me, students show up with random devices with operating and updating issues, and everything else that can go wrong.
Anyway, I guess there will be fewer testing sites for the digital SAT, at least in our state, for the upcoming test cycles.
UC schools do not consider ACT or SAT scores, and I’m pretty sure CSU schools don’t, either. Since most students go to school in-state, there’s not as much demand for these tests as you’d think. So there are no statewide testing days. This does make it more challenging for students who do want to take the tests, especially if they live in areas with fewer testing centers (I imagine it would be much easier for students who live in socioeconomic areas in which it’s more common for students to consider out-of-state schools).
Those interested in this topic should note that there’s an additional level to this. The standardized scoring figures that U.S. News reported for Wesleyan, for example, are for applicants offered admission (i.e., students who majorly attended college elsewhere). Since this standard of reporting isn’t the case for all colleges, the rankings in USN appear to be unreliable.
Well - I always find the 25/75s interesting - whatever they are - because that means 25% are below that 25% mark - whatever it is.
The one kid you knew with the 1400 is not all kids - truth is, you don’t know the test scores of those that apply and enroll TO - at some schools it’s over 50% - so I don’t think one could really make a statement like that. We are talking hundreds if not more of students.
I wonder what the cost is per student for school-day testing using SBAC vs SAT vs ACT. It doesn’t make sense to me why CA wouldn’t choose either the ACT or SAT for their mandatory 11th grade testing, since they have to pay a 3rd party anyway.
My state uses SBAC for younger grades, but the SAT for 11th grade.
That is an interesting point. I like the idea of what your state does (SBAC in earlier grades, SAT in 11th).
I think they also have a point that it is valuable to separate high-stakes college admission testing from lower-stakes proficiency testing (rather than using just one assessment that doubles for both) but perhaps your state’s compromise would address those concerns.
converting SB from a low-stakes assessment intended to measure student achievement for school accountability into a high-stakes test that would impact college admissions decisions for individual students is likely to lead to the development of SB test preparation ventures, similar to those currently in place for the SAT/ACT, that have been shown to magnify score differences among demographic groups. Such test preparation development could also undermine the purpose and current use of the assessment in K-12.
I can only speak for my school, but there’s no test prep for the school-day SAT (nor PSAT). Our school kept things extremely low-key, to the point where I was wondering if the guidance department didn’t want the test on anyone’s radar so they wouldn’t skip school that day. There was no suggestion to use bluebook practice tests at home (nor mention that bluebook even existed) and no test prep classes at the school. They didn’t treat the SAT (or PSAT) like it was a high-stakes test. I received more emails, prep, and info from our elementary school when same kid was taking SBACs way back when.
My junior would say it’s a pressure cooker if you’re on the honors/AP track. Pretty sure there’s a huge difference between standard classes & honors/AP at the school. In that sense, our school can be as low-key or high-stress as you make it.
The school-day SAT is mandatory to graduate, so I do think guidance does everything they can to make sure everyone shows up for the test. Including keeping it very low-stress and making it so students/families might not even know the test was being administered that day unless they were paying attention.
I’m ready to get on this bandwagon. They’ll replace the old required test that they administer during a school day with ACT/SAT. (I think I prefer the ACT here) And aim for 99% participation rates like Michigan. The only downsides I can imagine are any mental hurdles related to ACT/SAT vs something that was considered “stress free testing”, along with different test types between the 8th grade and 11th grade, and perhaps different types of conclusions that can be drawn from the results… Has California considered this option before?
No direct quote but comes from sessions I have been a part of as an interviewer and certain alumni groups where we have direct access to Quinlan and his staff. So some of this is from reading between the lines. They did make it clear that they would not mind fewer applications and that the rapid increase in applicants was burdensome. We can see that in the policy change where there is an official screener to weed out non-competitive apps as a first screen. They also made it clear that test scores were useful in targeting the diamonds. @MITChris, the 1400 hypothetical came directly from JQ. As an institution, my distinct impression is that Yale feels that focusing on outreach through 2 dedicated officers and doing things through FA, communications and other actions to increase yield of underrepresented students will be more effective than encouraging and sifting through more gross applications to meet their diversity goals.
It’s a long thread. I don’t know if what Harvard said made it in - probably did - but to me, its saying maybe we have let kids in who don’t belong which I’ve always thought although I know others have stated others have said otherwise - i.e. Dartmouth, etc.
Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi E. Hoekstra defended the policy shift in a statement, arguing for standardized testing.
“Standardized tests are a means for all students, regardless of their background and life experience, to provide information that is predictive of success in college and beyond,” she said in a statement.
Who is next (that you can soon add to the tile of this thread)?
Why not look at actual data from states that did make the change from SBAC to either ACT or SAT to satisfy the mandatory 11th grade testing? How has the change affected college attendance?
There is a counter opinion as well as a more objective piece from the same time frame. (these are accessible from the links on the first opinion piece). I thought it was interesting nonetheless if you read all three. Apparently Long Beach did a trial…
That Harvard statement is consistent with the “diamonds in the rough” explanations provided by Dartmouth and Yale. Note Dartmouth and Yale have also argued that standardized tests are predictive. The further point they have made is higher SES applicants tend to have other sufficiently predictive information available anyway, but not so much lower SES applicants. That particular Harvard statement did not say all of that, but the reference to standardized tests allowing students to provide such information “regardless of their background and life experience” plausibly seems to be alluding to the same issue.
