WSJ article on more students especially the affluent get extra time on SAT
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Anonymous
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Tidbits from article:
At Scarsdale High school north of NY city, one in five students is eligible for extra time or another accommodation such as a separate room for taking the SAT or ACT college entrance exam. At Weston High School in CT, it is one in four. At Newton North High School outside Boston, it’s one in three. Public schools in wealthier areas: where no more than 10% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunches, an average of 4.2% of students have the 504 designation compared to only 1.6% of kids in public schools where 75% or more are eligible for free and reduced cost lunches. The evidence there - the system is being gamed and tilted to those w extra time. Extra time for all. |
Anonymous
| It is very hard on all the students in such schools when so many kids get extra time on tests. Hard to figure out what is fair. |
Anonymous
Can you imagine being a student in one of those schools where 1 in 3 gets extra time? How can one get good grades? |
Anonymous
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The solution is to not give extra time period to any student.
Have students with challenges, write an essay how they are challenged and have schools conduct in-person interviews/assessments to verify the challenges and then they can take that into account when factoring in test scores. But this processes should happen after the test is taken in normal conditions. Do we lower the hoop in the nba to accommodate people who are vertically challenged? |
Anonymous
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I think conflating 504 percentages with SAT accommodations isn't correct. More kids should get 504s - 1.6 % is too low.
Agree that SAT should either become untimed, or much much much more selective in how it grants additional time. |
Anonymous
| This is another reason why we need the “adversity score” on the SAT. |
Anonymous
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No one should get extra time. It is just a scam for the wealthy to push their kids above the others.
In real life you don't get extra time. |
Anonymous
My daughter was one. In a college-prep private school. 23% of the kids has accommodations and extra time. It made it really hard. The kids took advantage of it all the time. They couldn't lose points for any late work. Tests would take forever to return to all because kids would wait a week or so more to study and take it. It is also a huge asset for the ACT more than the SAT, which is easier, but fast paced. One of her friends bragged about going from a 29, getting a ADD diagnosis and retaking it senior year for a 34. F'ing ridiculous. The docs are paid off, especially the ones that take cash instead of insurance. |
Anonymous
The 1.6% is percentage for poorer public schools compared to 4.6% in wealthier public schools. And this 4.6% would be much higher if the private schools are included. How is that fair? Extra time should be abolished even in schools. Or give everyone extra time. |
Anonymous
I am fine with extra time if when submitted - either their transcript or their standardizes tests, it notes there was extra time given. |
Anonymous
And this also impacts Merit aid and scholarships. If your kid doesn’t have an accomodation, you better get one else you will be saddling your kid w loans or higher amount of loans or limiting their school choices! |
Anonymous
This makes it worse for my child. Try being a white student on major financial aid in a college prep school. All the richies and URM's get the good colleges. No one wants smart white kids that need aid. Colleges need money or numbers to check off their list. If you aren't one, you are not getting in. |
Anonymous
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The wealthier the parents, the greater the probability of children having debilitating learning difficulties, that need remedying by allowing the children extra time on standardized tests. This, when coupled with expensive one-to-one coaching over a long time, brings out the true genius in these children. With legacy, early admission, and full-pay as cherry on top, these children will become newly minted matriculates of the Ivies. With the generous practice by Ivies of grade inflation, free tutoring, ensuring that no one fails, these children will one day become adults and graduates of the said Ivies. Finally, the trusted family connections come in handy in securing lucrative careers for the newly minted Ivy graduates of the wealthy.
What is not to love of American education and social class system! When we soon get rid of the one small irksome problem of universities giving consideration for children of URM, first-gen, poor families, voila! we will have devised the perfect cycle for perpetuating our wealthy dynasties. |
Anonymous
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All of the kids taking these tests are on a time crunch. I think extra time for all would be a step in the right direction.
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Anonymous
No, this is all we need. 1 PSAT and 1 PACT given sophomore year in their high school- about 1 month apart from the other. 1 SAT and 1 ACT given end of junior year - about 1 month apart from the other. That is it. No retakes. No accommodations. No special privileges. There are plenty of test optional schools if you don't do well. |