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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My own kids are not applying to Harvard, but as a professor of mostly undergraduate students I applaud this. It's one data point that is, like ACTs and APs, scaled nationally. Grades are hyper inflated at many high schools and rigor varies too much across schools to be helpful to an admissions committee who is comparing students across the country, indeed even internationally. 
Also, my unpopular opinion is that SATs are not racially biased. The scores are a reflection of reality -Black and Hispanic kids don't do well because they are relatively impoverished compared to other populations. Also, straight math problems (not word problems) logically cannot indicate bias. [/quote]

Community college professor? Yes, straight math problems logically can be biased, especially in the way they are taught in schools. Think critically just a little. Hope you're not one of my children's professors. But they're both students with LDs at top 20 universities, so I'm guessing not.[/quote]

DP, why the snark of throwing around community college as an insult and looking down at them? Give an example of a straight math problem that can be biased. Not sure what you were trying to demonstrate bringing up your LD kids at “top 20” colleges.[/quote]

Again, think a little, and maybe you can make some conclusions on your own. Standardized tests, straight math, most of US style of teaching, are biased. This is not even arguable. It's not accessible to all. [/quote]

I'm a DP, and I need you to explain this to me like I'm 5 because I don't understand how math problems are biased. [/quote]

The way math is taught is biased. It's obviously not the problem itself. But when classrooms and instruction are developed to teach to one learning style, then there's no way for every student to learn how to do the straight math problem. Making the standardized tests inaccessible for a large number of very bright students who are not taught in the way they need to be. Therefore, biased.[/quote]

So you’re saying the math test isn’t biased, the problem is that students are not able to learn the math to begin with because of subpar teaching methods. Therefore the math test is accurately showing that they don’t know how to do the math. That’s not bias in the test, that’s another problem entirely. [/quote]

I think you are just too far removed and ingrained in your own biases to see how those things are inseparable. Biased process means biased test, that's how that works. That's why the tests have been considered biased for so many years. Because it is easy for average, neurotypical students to learn how to do the "straight math" problems. You seem to need to fold all over yourself to actually not see the bias. It's not like this is really an arguable point. Schools aren't reinstating because they all of a sudden believe the system isn't biased. One large class of people, for whom the bias benefits, sued, and now they have to reinstate them. It's fine. It's still not going to advantage the students with 1500 and higher any more than they are already are. So perhaps it's just not worth arguing with those of you who, even after having these issues drilled into you for past four years, still don't get it. I really don't care.  Your average kid will still be going to an average college with his 1500, so whatever.[/quote]

You keep saying a lot of words, but the fundamental truth is that the kids who can answer more math problems correctly know more math. There are a lot of reasons for that and it looks like schools are taking that into consideration. [/quote]

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