Posted on 09/11/2006 10:34:59 AM PDT by JSedreporter
Many on the education beat puzzle over why the scores on the two leading college entrance exams differ so markedly. In a nutshell, ACT scores are up while SAT scores are down. The mystery is easily solved: the ACT is an easier test.
For example, knowing where to place a comma and how to work an algebraic word problem puts you in the upper echelon of ACT test takers. For the SAT it is a floor.
Against that backdrop, the losses and gains on the respective tests are not that earth-shaking: the ACT scores are up a point and the SAT postings went down 5 on the verbal portion of the exam and 2 on the Math. Predictably, officials at the ACT overplayed the gains while executives at the College Board, that constructs the SAT, played down the losses.
“The growth of the average ACT composite score is encouraging, particularly given the increase in the number of students taking the test,” ACT chief executive officer Richard Ferguson said. “The results suggest that academic achievement and college readiness are on the rise.” Well, not really, particularly given that the ACT’s own numbers show that 47 percent of its test takers cannot read at college level, the same percentage as the group recorded among exam entrants three years ago.
By way of contrast, Ferguson’s counterpart on the College Board, Gaston Caperton, said, “I think we tend to overemphasize one or two point fluctuations.” Caperton, the former Democratic governor of West Virginia, made this assessment when a reporter from the Bloomberg News asked if the group would downplay a two-point gain in Math scores.
As it happens, I was at another press conference three years ago at which College Board representatives, including Caperton, devoted the bulk of their presentations to heralding just such a point surge. At this year’s more downbeat affair, the usually-ebullient Caperton later admitted to me, “Our math scores are not where they should be.”
“Our [Advanced Placement] AP scores are competitive internationally but our average scores are not,” he explained. “They should be like this,” he said, holding his arm at an angle with his hand pointing towards the ceiling.”
It should be noted that the SAT has made its test easier over time as well. For example: • For more than a decade, students have used calculators on the Math portion of the test. • This year, the College Board dropped analogies and added an essay. • Students got an extra hour to complete the test.
Malcolm A. Kline is the executive director of Accuracy in Academia.
I am back in school studying nursing and would have to say that the majority of my fellow students (mostly in the 18-24 yr. old range) cannot write their way out of a paperbag! Besides not being able to spell, they have no clue regarding sentence structure, proper grammar or essay organization.
I have had a few teachers comment to me about the pathetic writing (or lack thereof) abilities of my fellow classmates. This generally ame after the teachers commented about how older/returning students tend to exel. (I have a 3.8 overall gpa)
LOL - title could be interpreted to mean that the homo protest group had a sit in.
IMHO, the ACT tests specific knowledge that can/should be taught. Some schools may "teach the test" and thus look like they are doing a better job of educating students.
The SAT is more a test of cognitive abilities, something that correlates with specific knowledge, but is more stable. Scores reflect longer term education, family influence, and (since they correlate with IQ scores) probably genetics.
Attempts to make the SAT easier have more to do with politics than psychometrics. Long standing racial and ethnic group differences in such tests are controversial for obvious reasons that freepers understand.
My kid scored in exactly the same percentile on both, though different in some individual categories. I wouldn't say that validates the tests. In my opinion, some very bright kids might do poorly, though I doubt dumb kids would do well. It's imperfect and steeped in poltiical correctness (the stories are stupid), but it's an okay enough way to measure the kids. As long as they all take the same test then it is fair enough, though some might be disadvantaged who haven't been steeped in liberal social theory, depending on which test they get. The math test is better on the SAT than on the ACT. I was not clear as to why the PSAT tested writing while the SAT didn't, though it appears they have corrected that. The reading sections on both were sometimes poorly constructed and frequently all about one group being oppressed by another group. It was tiresome to practice.
Many school systems are pushing an "every student takes the ACT" policy and that will wreak havoc with the average in years to come. It better be the easier test with that plan in the works.
When I took the ACT, certain parts were specific to the textbooks being used at school. So for instance if you were taking the physics portion and were taught physics using a textbook called "Physics for Dummies 101", you had to indicate that on the answer form so the scoring would be adjusted to that textbook. Basically you were competing against classmates, rather than the overall national student population. If your teacher didn't follow the textbooks well or didn't finish the book, it would tend to be reflected in your score (unless you read all the material in the book yourself).
A friend of mine floated the idea of a minimum ACT / SAT score to even QUALIFY for ANY federal assistance. I have not had a chance to think through all the possible ramifications but I think the idea has some merit.
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