SAT "adversity" adjustment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The adversity score is on a scale of 1-100, and takes into account the following:

Neighborhood environment:
Crime rate
Poverty rate
Housing value
Vacancy rate

Family environment:
Median income
Single parent
Education level
ESL

High school environment:
Undermatching
Curricular rigor
Free lunch rate
AP opportunity

Is this for the school address or the student's address? I'm thinking about Wilson for example; it's in a wealthy part of town but serves a lot of economically disadvantaged students.

The index will measure both the home and school addresses.

So much for parents sacrificing to move into a nice, safe neighborhood with a good neighborhood school. When you can spend half the price and buy in a crappy school system and get your kid into any school they want.

This idea is half baked.

This was not well though through.

[Anonymous]

When does this go into affect? My junior had a great score in August and went for a second pass this month because he didn’t take the essay, and one college wants it. Scores released tomorrow. Last SAT subject test next month, and he’s done.

TJ kid from an affluent neighborhood. I’m hoping he gets in under the wire. I’m wondering if getting scores in as soon as they are released in June would keep him from getting a number attached. Because it’s going to be tiny.

But, he has ADHD at TJ, which of course this doesn’t factor in.

[Anonymous]

Is it discriminatory to do this? Isn't it meant to essentially prejudice admissions? And how would it work with "need blind" admissions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
That's a terrible idea, because being educated in a wealthy district does not entirely cancel out physical, mental, or family issues that the student can struggle with.

Example: we live in a wealthy area and my son has learning disabilities. If we disclose his learning disabilities, it will hurt his college application. It's not fair that he should get an additional ding just because of his address.

Plus, we're Asian. Another ding.

Oh please

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When does this go into affect? My junior had a great score in August and went for a second pass this month because he didn’t take the essay, and one college wants it. Scores released tomorrow. Last SAT subject test next month, and he’s done.

TJ kid from an affluent neighborhood. I’m hoping he gets in under the wire. I’m wondering if getting scores in as soon as they are released in June would keep him from getting a number attached. Because it’s going to be tiny.

But, he has ADHD at TJ, which of course this doesn’t factor in.

They have already shared these scores with a test group of 50 schools, they will extend it to a further 150 schools this Fall and then it will be widely available.

It is in response to the Harvard case
"Several college admissions officers said they worry the Supreme Court may disallow race-based affirmative action. If that happens, the value of the tool would rise, they said. “The purpose is to get to race without using race,” said Anthony Carnevale, director of Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. Mr. Carnevale formerly worked for the College Board and oversaw the Strivers program."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When does this go into affect? My junior had a great score in August and went for a second pass this month because he didn’t take the essay, and one college wants it. Scores released tomorrow. Last SAT subject test next month, and he’s done.

TJ kid from an affluent neighborhood. I’m hoping he gets in under the wire. I’m wondering if getting scores in as soon as they are released in June would keep him from getting a number attached. Because it’s going to be tiny.

But, he has ADHD at TJ, which of course this doesn’t factor in.

Oh please

[Anonymous]

I can not believe how many of you affluent advantaged people are now online rallying against this. Have you no shame? As you no empathy? Have you no understanding? This is not designed to hurt your kids, but to help other kids.

[Anonymous]

A lot of misunderstanding on this board. Scores are not adjusted- there is just another number near the score to provide context for the socioeconomic status of the student. It is race neutral which is great for poor whites and Asians. Why are you guys so upset?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are so many posters suggesting that this is a bad thing for affluent families? It isn’t. It merely levels the playing field. It’s not a zero-sum game.

It doesn’t level the playing field, it creates two very different playing fields. And we must not have the same definition definition of zero sum game.

There are apparently acceptable reasons for scoring lower, and unacceptable reasons. It doesn’t change the fact that those with lower scores don’t perform as well. We can spend all day identifying the reasons, but it doesn’t miraculously make a better student.

But hey, this is America. High expectations are a thing of the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.wsj.com/articles/sat-to-give-students-adversity-score-to-capture-social-and-economic-background-11557999000

Wonder how they'll define adversity.

It is hard for me to support it as a "donut hole" parent, but I do recognize that this is appropriate direction given how prep classes routinely up SAT scores by 200-300 points.

Thoughts?

this is a fallacy--I think external studies have that when you use a real SAT for pre and a real SAT for post (not some in-house equivalent amassed from selecting problems from prior tests or creating analogues)prep raised scores on average 30-40 pts (which is not unsubstantial, but not drastic) and that most prep places massaged data in ways to make gains appear far larger than an external assessment would find.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are so many posters suggesting that this is a bad thing for affluent families? It isn’t. It merely levels the playing field. It’s not a zero-sum game.

Exactly. I think it is an excellent idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When does this go into affect? My junior had a great score in August and went for a second pass this month because he didn’t take the essay, and one college wants it. Scores released tomorrow. Last SAT subject test next month, and he’s done.

TJ kid from an affluent neighborhood. I’m hoping he gets in under the wire. I’m wondering if getting scores in as soon as they are released in June would keep him from getting a number attached. Because it’s going to be tiny.

But, he has ADHD at TJ, which of course this doesn’t factor in.

They have already shared these scores with a test group of 50 schools, they will extend it to a further 150 schools this Fall and then it will be widely available.

It is in response to the Harvard case
"Several college admissions officers said they worry the Supreme Court may disallow race-based affirmative action. If that happens, the value of the tool would rise, they said. “The purpose is to get to race without using race,” said Anthony Carnevale, director of Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. Mr. Carnevale formerly worked for the College Board and oversaw the Strivers program."

Thank you for being helpful, instead of snarky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can not believe how many of you affluent advantaged people are now online rallying against this. Have you no shame? As you no empathy? Have you no understanding? This is not designed to hurt your kids, but to help other kids.

+1 it’s like oh I’m so sad I can afford to have a nice house and neighborhood why are these poor students who are dealing with violence and poverty taking our deserved spots?? LOL. Don’t worry your kids will be just fine with all the social capital you have given them by living in your “nice” homogenous neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are so many posters suggesting that this is a bad thing for affluent families? It isn’t. It merely levels the playing field. It’s not a zero-sum game.

It doesn’t level the playing field, it creates two very different playing fields. And we must not have the same definition definition of zero sum game.

There are apparently acceptable reasons for scoring lower, and unacceptable reasons. It doesn’t change the fact that those with lower scores don’t perform as well. We can spend all day identifying the reasons, but it doesn’t miraculously make a better student.

But hey, this is America. High expectations are a thing of the past.

You are an idiot. SATs are an ax, not a scalpel. This new system merely provides needed context for interpreting the scores. The scores themselves won’t change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of misunderstanding on this board. Scores are not adjusted- there is just another number near the score to provide context for the socioeconomic status of the student. It is race neutral which is great for poor whites and Asians. Why are you guys so upset?

Judgments based on SES are discriminatory. Maybe it would make sense to include SES for lower scoring students so schools can decide if the score may be due to SES. But including it for high scores has the potential to discount the higher scores of high SES kids. And that that sounds discriminatory. Just as devaluing low SES kids' applications would be discriminatory.