The State of Standardized Testing
Dear Parents,
It is a very busy time for high school seniors as they write their application essays, complete their college applications and hopefully, submit their college applications earlier versus later. Early Action and Early Decision I deadlines are almost here: November 1st, November 15th and December 1st.
Both the articles in this newsletter are focused on standardized testing. I have my own opinion as to why more and more colleges are going to a permanent test-optional testing policy. If a student has good scores, certainly within the range the school publishes they are looking for, then the student needs to submit those scores. If a student is not a good test taker, then it is fine to not submit scores. Good test scores can, in some situations, make the student stand out above other students applying who are not submitting scores. In addition, some merit scholarships still require SAT or ACT scores to evaluate qualifying for the scholarships.
The first article shows how test-optional schools have a harder time evaluating applicants for admission. Without test scores, it seems to be making the admission process more subjective on the part of the admissions team. Originally, the goal to eliminate standardized testing requirements by colleges was to help “level the playing field”, in other words, to help socio-economically disadvantaged students have a chance to compete with their wealthier peers for admission. As you will see when you read this article, the results have not shown that this approach has worked as well as anticipated.
The second article is, in my opinion, a statement on what is happening to the K – 12 education system in the United States. If the data was just from the past two years, I would say it was Covid related, but the study includes the past five years. The article is about the decline of ACT scores in the US. This is why it is so important to be involved with your local PTA and local school board, so you know exactly what is being taught in your student’s high school.
I hope you find these articles as interesting as I did. Please feel free to give me feedback directly in an email. I love hearing from my readers. I wish all high school seniors the best with their application submissions. I know it is hard for these teens to realize they will go to college where they are supposed to go. Have a wonderful Halloween! Watch out for the goblins this year!
Sincerely,
Catherine Marrs, CEP
Colleges that ditched test scores for admissions still struggle with bias
One college admissions officer at a large public university described how test-optional admissions had spurred more disagreements in his office. A third reader on an application was often called in to break a tie when one staffer said ‘yes’ and another said ‘no.’
Without SAT and ACT scores, he explained, the job of admitting students had become more subjective and more time-consuming.
Read More
A Worrisome Trend': ACT scores continue to decline, dropping to lowest levels in 30 years
Average scores on the ACT from the high school graduating class of 2022 dropped to their lowest point in 30 years.
Approximately 1.3 million students in this year’s graduating class took the ACT, a test comparable to the SATs that some students use in their college applications.
Read More