Comments on: Record Drop in SAT Scores Reported http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/ Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:59:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Hilliar http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/comment-page-1/#comment-614 Hilliar Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:11:16 +0000 http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/#comment-614 Things are different these days, Charles. The internet has helped level the playing field and there is more competition than ever for spots at selective colleges. Things are different these days, Charles. The internet has helped level the playing field and there is more competition than ever for spots at selective colleges.

]]> By: Charles Hudson http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/comment-page-1/#comment-615 Charles Hudson Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:20:40 +0000 http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/#comment-615 Wow. What responses! Take this section in X and another in Y, so the kids will have more time to focus their study efforts? When I took the SAT in 1963, I reported to a designated classroom at an assigned time and challenged an examination with eleven years of acquired knowledge. My classmates and I had no idea what would be on the exam, on in what format the questions would be posed. The SAT is not a measure of what you can "cram for"; it is an assessment of what you know. I personally scored 1300 (675 Verbal, 625 Math), and was in the 85th percentile! 15 percent of the kids scored higher than I. Shortly after I returned from Vietnam in 1969, I was playing golf with my father and we talked about the net effect of forced integration with respect to the educational system. We agreed that when all was said and done, the same academic disparity between black and white students would exist, but on a much lower level. That is exactly what we see today. It's not that the black students cannot perform to the level of the whites, but that the two groups were thrown together by the federal government before they were ready for that type of intimacy. The result was mass discomfort on both sides, failure of the black students, and loweringso that al students would appear to be equal. of the academic standards that Wow. What responses! Take this section in X and another in Y, so the kids will have more time to focus their study efforts? When I took the SAT in 1963, I reported to a designated classroom at an assigned time and challenged an examination with eleven years of acquired knowledge. My classmates and I had no idea what would be on the exam, on in what format the questions would be posed. The SAT is not a measure of what you can “cram for”; it is an assessment of what you know. I personally scored 1300 (675 Verbal, 625 Math), and was in the 85th percentile! 15 percent of the kids scored higher than I.
Shortly after I returned from Vietnam in 1969, I was playing golf with my father and we talked about the net effect of forced integration with respect to the educational system. We agreed that when all was said and done, the same academic disparity between black and white students would exist, but on a much lower level. That is exactly what we see today. It’s not that the black students cannot perform to the level of the whites, but that the two groups were thrown together by the federal government before they were ready for that type of intimacy. The result was mass discomfort on both sides, failure of the black students, and loweringso that al students would appear to be equal. of the academic standards that

]]> By: DaniWB http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/comment-page-1/#comment-613 DaniWB Sun, 24 Sep 2006 12:42:40 +0000 http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/#comment-613 I agree that the forty-five minutes added to the end is material. I wonder why the CB just doesn't offer the Math, CR and Writing as separate exams as you suggested in one of your posts. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense to me to do so. I agree that the forty-five minutes added to the end is material. I wonder why the CB just doesn’t offer the Math, CR and Writing as separate exams as you suggested in one of your posts. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense to me to do so.

]]> By: Karl http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/comment-page-1/#comment-612 Karl Thu, 07 Sep 2006 13:59:53 +0000 http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/#comment-612 Sue, To answer your question, the new test is 45 minutes longer than the old one. This does not seem like a big deal standing alone, but remember, it is 45 minutes tacked on to the end of a 3 hour exam. (The typical teen would likely argue that it\\\'s like adding another 6.5 miles onto a 26 mile marathon.) I agree with your sentiment for the most part. Some kids are self absorbed \\\"me\\\" generation kids, but I have met plenty of others who are not. They are just adolescents trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be -- a tall task in my opinion. Now, throw in the opposite sex, a few pimples and parents who \\\"just don\\\'t get it\\\" and you have a kid who is excited, anxious and insecure all in one. What I am trying to say is that the decision to pass on the SAT retake is not made in a vacuum and it is not made by what Wikipedia would define as a rational human being. That being said, I do agree that the truly lazy and self-absorbed kids don\\\'t deserve a higher score or the opportunity to attend our nation\\\'s elite universities. I just have a hard time figuring out which teenagers are truly lazy and which are just being teenagers. Sometimes you cannot tell until years later. Sue,

To answer your question, the new test is 45 minutes longer than the old one. This does not seem like a big deal standing alone, but remember, it is 45 minutes tacked on to the end of a 3 hour exam. (The typical teen would likely argue that it\\\’s like adding another 6.5 miles onto a 26 mile marathon.)

I agree with your sentiment for the most part. Some kids are self absorbed \\\”me\\\” generation kids, but I have met plenty of others who are not. They are just adolescents trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be — a tall task in my opinion. Now, throw in the opposite sex, a few pimples and parents who \\\”just don\\\’t get it\\\” and you have a kid who is excited, anxious and insecure all in one. What I am trying to say is that the decision to pass on the SAT retake is not made in a vacuum and it is not made by what Wikipedia would define as a rational human being.

That being said, I do agree that the truly lazy and self-absorbed kids don\\\’t deserve a higher score or the opportunity to attend our nation\\\’s elite universities. I just have a hard time figuring out which teenagers are truly lazy and which are just being teenagers. Sometimes you cannot tell until years later.

]]> By: Sue http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/comment-page-1/#comment-611 Sue Wed, 06 Sep 2006 04:46:36 +0000 http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/#comment-611 How much longer is the test--isn't it just about 30 minutes longer? Does one more 1/2 hour or even one hour out of a day a small sacrifice for getting a better score, which in turn can get you into a much better school? Sounds like a bunch of self absorbed "me" generation kids, who don't want to "waste" their own time. I am not sure they deserve to get into the best schools if they think of themselves so highly.... How much longer is the test–isn’t it just about 30 minutes longer? Does one more 1/2 hour or even one hour out of a day a small sacrifice for getting a better score, which in turn can get you into a much better school? Sounds like a bunch of self absorbed “me” generation kids, who don’t want to “waste” their own time. I am not sure they deserve to get into the best schools if they think of themselves so highly….

]]> By: Karl http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/comment-page-1/#comment-610 Karl Tue, 05 Sep 2006 23:52:20 +0000 http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/#comment-610 Myles, Thank you for sharing. I could not have said it better myself. Over the past year, I have tutored numerous students who ultimately decided to stick with their then-current scores because they did not want to "waste" another Saturday. The length of the test is clearly related to the recent drop in scores. It is still not clear to me why the SAT I is not simply repackaged as three separate (hour-long) tests that can be offered along with the current SAT II subject tests. Thanks again for your comment. Karl Myles,

Thank you for sharing. I could not have said it better myself.

Over the past year, I have tutored numerous students who ultimately decided to stick with their then-current scores because they did not want to “waste” another Saturday.

The length of the test is clearly related to the recent drop in scores. It is still not clear to me why the SAT I is not simply repackaged as three separate (hour-long) tests that can be offered along with the current SAT II subject tests.

Thanks again for your comment.

Karl

]]> By: Myles http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/comment-page-1/#comment-609 Myles Tue, 05 Sep 2006 13:16:28 +0000 http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/#comment-609 I don't understand why the College Board is so adamant in their explanation WHY scores have dropped off. They claim that scores have declined not because the test is longer, but because fewer people are taking the test multiple times. But aren't fewer people taking the test multiple times because the test is longer? I was never good with circular logic... I don’t understand why the College Board is so adamant in their explanation WHY scores have dropped off. They claim that scores have declined not because the test is longer, but because fewer people are taking the test multiple times. But aren’t fewer people taking the test multiple times because the test is longer? I was never good with circular logic…

]]> By: Nay http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/comment-page-1/#comment-608 Nay Mon, 04 Sep 2006 16:14:54 +0000 http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/#comment-608 Karl, your idea is much better, and that will definitely take a lot of pressure from the students. At least for me. Hopefully, CB will consider this idea and we can witness this change. Karl, your idea is much better, and that will definitely take a lot of pressure from the students. At least for me. Hopefully, CB will consider this idea and we can witness this change.

]]> By: Karl http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/comment-page-1/#comment-607 Karl Sat, 02 Sep 2006 13:06:30 +0000 http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/#comment-607 Sorry if I was not clear, Nay. (I was writing late at night.) When I stated that the math and critical reading sections should be \\\"offered\\\" as separate subject tests, I meant that students should be able to take them separately, just like subject tests. For example, a student would be able to take the math in October and the critical reading in November. Offering the two separately would allow students the opportunity to focus their prep efforts. It would also afford them the opportunity to retake only the section that needs improvement. Sorry if I was not clear, Nay. (I was writing late at night.) When I stated that the math and critical reading sections should be \\\”offered\\\” as separate subject tests, I meant that students should be able to take them separately, just like subject tests. For example, a student would be able to take the math in October and the critical reading in November. Offering the two separately would allow students the opportunity to focus their prep efforts. It would also afford them the opportunity to retake only the section that needs improvement.

]]> By: Nay http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/comment-page-1/#comment-606 Nay Sat, 02 Sep 2006 02:24:35 +0000 http://blog.eprep.com/2006/08/29/record-drop-in-sat-scores-reported/#comment-606 I think The College Board should make the Writing section a separate subject test again. In fact, I think the math and critical reading sections should be offered as separate subject tests too Yes, they are considered separately anyway. I think The College Board should make the Writing section a separate subject test again. In fact, I think the math and critical reading sections should be offered as separate subject tests too

Yes, they are considered separately anyway.

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