Anonymous
03/10/2014 06:46
Subject: Re:What does the SAT change mean?
Oh it is definitely dumbing it down. The SAT is eliminating the difficult vocab words. They already eliminated the analogies. They are eliminating calculators, which means they are eliminating the trig. I think this is the beginning of the end of the SAT.
"Dumbing down" the test will certainly bring closer the performance gap. It will be more difficult to pull out the high flyers with most "clumped" together. Brilliant strategy.
Anonymous
03/10/2014 06:41
Subject: Re:What does the SAT change mean?
The SAT change from the American College Board leadership is a means to keep pace with the ACT and to reign in the escalating high performance of Asian-Americans and reduce the performance gap between Asian-Americans and all the rest.
For the most part, Asian-Americans have thrived in the US despite educational reform. Others have not --including the entitled. Most of the educational reforms of the last decade (elimination of acceleration in public schools and the slow elimination of gifted programs around the country) seem an attempt by the leaders of US education to close the performance gaps -- particularly with respect to Asian-Americans. There is no history of meaningful and substantive attempts to close the performance gaps between whites and blacks for over 300 years.
The SAT changes will bring up the bottom closer to the level of the highest performing Asian-American group--thereby closing the gap.
For the most part, Asian-Americans have thrived in the US despite educational reform. Others have not --including the entitled. Most of the educational reforms of the last decade (elimination of acceleration in public schools and the slow elimination of gifted programs around the country) seem an attempt by the leaders of US education to close the performance gaps -- particularly with respect to Asian-Americans. There is no history of meaningful and substantive attempts to close the performance gaps between whites and blacks for over 300 years.
The SAT changes will bring up the bottom closer to the level of the highest performing Asian-American group--thereby closing the gap.
Anonymous
03/09/2014 08:13
Subject: What does the SAT change mean?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The current essay grading is a joke. It rewards checking off certain boxes but not good writing. I say good riddance.
The current SAT takes points off for guessing which never made sense to me and I'm glad they are getting rid of that. It was just another way kids could game the system is they took prep courses and learned when to and not to guess.
I wouldn't say its dumbing ltself down. I took the old 1600 SAT and it wasn't easy. Its a stupid test anyway and doesn't come close to measuring how someone will do in college.
I do hate teh College Board but I mostly focus my distain for the APs. Total money grab.
Oh it is definitely dumbing it down. The SAT is eliminating the difficult vocab words. They already eliminated the analogies. They are eliminating calculators, which means they are eliminating the trig. I think this is the beginning of the end of the SAT.
I sure hope so.
Remember everyone takes the same test so there will still be some kind of spread. And who cares if they are dumbing it down. The competitive colleges have become so much more competitive since my day, the high school curriculum is much tougher (and I went to a DC "top 3" private), its clear that at least for kids going through the college application process that their education isn't being dumbed down. But if your tale of woe comes true its all the better. Good riddance.
Anonymous
03/09/2014 07:57
Subject: Re:What does the SAT change mean?
To make more money. Now all the test prep places have to get new training to do test prep... Money.
Everybody needs to buy new test prep books... Money.
You get this is all about $$$$$$$. Right.
Everybody needs to buy new test prep books... Money.
You get this is all about $$$$$$$. Right.
Anonymous
03/09/2014 07:54
Subject: What does the SAT change mean?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The current essay grading is a joke. It rewards checking off certain boxes but not good writing. I say good riddance.
The current SAT takes points off for guessing which never made sense to me and I'm glad they are getting rid of that. It was just another way kids could game the system is they took prep courses and learned when to and not to guess.
I wouldn't say its dumbing ltself down. I took the old 1600 SAT and it wasn't easy. Its a stupid test anyway and doesn't come close to measuring how someone will do in college.
I do hate teh College Board but I mostly focus my distain for the APs. Total money grab.[/quote]
I just wrote a $445 check for AP tests. That's not small change.
And then the SAT Subject test bill will come and then the biggest ripoff of all - you have to pay more fees to send scores all these scores to individual colleges. For all the SATs, APs, SAT Subjects, Bluebook, and processing fees we paid over $1000 to the College Board.
The College Board also charges extra to "rush scores," switch exam dates, chose a stand-by date, use the "question and answer" service. Then the College Board sells its list of names, making more money. The whole thing is a huge scam, feeding off college admissions anxiety.
Anonymous
03/09/2014 06:12
Subject: What does the SAT change mean?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The current essay grading is a joke. It rewards checking off certain boxes but not good writing. I say good riddance.
The current SAT takes points off for guessing which never made sense to me and I'm glad they are getting rid of that. It was just another way kids could game the system is they took prep courses and learned when to and not to guess.
I wouldn't say its dumbing ltself down. I took the old 1600 SAT and it wasn't easy. Its a stupid test anyway and doesn't come close to measuring how someone will do in college.
I do hate teh College Board but I mostly focus my distain for the APs. Total money grab.[/quote]
I just wrote a $445 check for AP tests. That's not small change.
You mean poor kids can't do AP tests?
They can in Fairfax County, as it pays for the AP tests if you are enrolled in an AP class.
Anonymous
03/09/2014 03:28
Subject: What does the SAT change mean?
Anonymous wrote:Optional essay means just that. The kids can choose to write the essay. It is not factored into the overall score but is scored on its own. Schools can choose to look at it or not.
this is true and why it is recommended that ADHD kids and others with writing difficulties focus on the ACT, which is what we did. DD slammed it with a composite of 34, bombed the writing section but I don't think the universities even saw the writing grade. Got in first choice early action.
Anonymous
03/09/2014 01:41
Subject: What does the SAT change mean?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The current essay grading is a joke. It rewards checking off certain boxes but not good writing. I say good riddance.
The current SAT takes points off for guessing which never made sense to me and I'm glad they are getting rid of that. It was just another way kids could game the system is they took prep courses and learned when to and not to guess.
I wouldn't say its dumbing ltself down. I took the old 1600 SAT and it wasn't easy. Its a stupid test anyway and doesn't come close to measuring how someone will do in college.
I do hate teh College Board but I mostly focus my distain for the APs. Total money grab.[/quote]
I just wrote a $445 check for AP tests. That's not small change.
You mean poor kids can't do AP tests?
Anonymous
03/08/2014 23:55
Subject: What does the SAT change mean?
Optional essay means just that. The kids can choose to write the essay. It is not factored into the overall score but is scored on its own. Schools can choose to look at it or not.
Anonymous
03/08/2014 23:07
Subject: What does the SAT change mean?
Anonymous wrote:The current essay grading is a joke. It rewards checking off certain boxes but not good writing. I say good riddance.
The current SAT takes points off for guessing which never made sense to me and I'm glad they are getting rid of that. It was just another way kids could game the system is they took prep courses and learned when to and not to guess.
I wouldn't say its dumbing ltself down. I took the old 1600 SAT and it wasn't easy. Its a stupid test anyway and doesn't come close to measuring how someone will do in college.
I do hate teh College Board but I mostly focus my distain for the APs. Total money grab.
Oh it is definitely dumbing it down. The SAT is eliminating the difficult vocab words. They already eliminated the analogies. They are eliminating calculators, which means they are eliminating the trig. I think this is the beginning of the end of the SAT.
Anonymous
03/08/2014 21:49
Subject: What does the SAT change mean?
Anonymous wrote:The current essay grading is a joke. It rewards checking off certain boxes but not good writing. I say good riddance.
The current SAT takes points off for guessing which never made sense to me and I'm glad they are getting rid of that. It was just another way kids could game the system is they took prep courses and learned when to and not to guess.
I wouldn't say its dumbing ltself down. I took the old 1600 SAT and it wasn't easy. Its a stupid test anyway and doesn't come close to measuring how someone will do in college.
I do hate teh College Board but I mostly focus my distain for the APs. Total money grab.[/quote]
I just wrote a $445 check for AP tests. That's not small change.
Anonymous
03/08/2014 21:36
Subject: What does the SAT change mean?
The current essay grading is a joke. It rewards checking off certain boxes but not good writing. I say good riddance.
The current SAT takes points off for guessing which never made sense to me and I'm glad they are getting rid of that. It was just another way kids could game the system is they took prep courses and learned when to and not to guess.
I wouldn't say its dumbing ltself down. I took the old 1600 SAT and it wasn't easy. Its a stupid test anyway and doesn't come close to measuring how someone will do in college.
I do hate teh College Board but I mostly focus my distain for the APs. Total money grab.
The current SAT takes points off for guessing which never made sense to me and I'm glad they are getting rid of that. It was just another way kids could game the system is they took prep courses and learned when to and not to guess.
I wouldn't say its dumbing ltself down. I took the old 1600 SAT and it wasn't easy. Its a stupid test anyway and doesn't come close to measuring how someone will do in college.
I do hate teh College Board but I mostly focus my distain for the APs. Total money grab.
Anonymous
03/08/2014 21:24
Subject: Re:What does the SAT change mean?
Anonymous wrote:ACT was kicking their butts. So SAT is changing to be a little more like ACT. The optional writing section was not or not fully considered like the other 2 sections IME. Several colleges outright said "we don't use the writing score."
It is a little more complicated than that. It is only partly to do with the writing section. The SAT essay is now part of the writing score but is scored separately. With the ACT, most all colleges require the writing section even though it purports to be "optional." The new SAT will combine the grammar from the SAT writing section with the reading in the reading section. Doing this will largely revert the SAT to the old "Verbal" format.
The SAT is dumbing itself down yet again in order to recapture and increase market share. Doubtful this will work. The new test will also be entirely machine-gradable increasing profits for the "non-profit" College Board. That will work.
Anonymous
03/08/2014 21:13
Subject: Re:What does the SAT change mean?
ACT was kicking their butts. So SAT is changing to be a little more like ACT. The optional writing section was not or not fully considered like the other 2 sections IME. Several colleges outright said "we don't use the writing score."
Anonymous
03/08/2014 20:49
Subject: What does the SAT change mean?
Back to 1600 points, no essay, less obscure vocabulary. But then it says that kids can do the essay if they want. I wonder what that means? If the section is worth 800 points, I assume doing the essay means in place of doing some other section.
My kid will be the first class to take the new SAT (class of 2017). I wonder what the problem was that after 8 years under the newer system they switched back to the 1600 scale.
My kid will be the first class to take the new SAT (class of 2017). I wonder what the problem was that after 8 years under the newer system they switched back to the 1600 scale.