For all of us still trudging through public schools and those whose tax dollars fund our education...

Does standardized testing (SATs ACTs etc.) accurately measure a student's capacity, and, more importantly, should it be as integral to education as it is currently?

Hmm I don't know if it necessarily accurately tests a student's intelligence, but if they study and work hard, they should be able to get a decent score on it. I think it's important. I mean, we need to know if our curriculums are actually teaching students and whatnot. We need something to base our programs on.

Accurate? SAT IIs are, SAT Is are not.
Integral? They should be, certainly.

You can't really study for the SATs. You can study for the PSATs, which are more achivemenet-based. The SAT is a reasoning test. In my school, our top PSAT scorer only got a 1400 on the SATs. Of the two people who got higher than 1500 on the SAT, neither of us study.

Likewise, people who do good on the SAT IIs may not do well on the SAT I. An NA kid had three 800s on the SAT II and only a 1400 on the SAT I. Unless you're me, where you're just that great at everything .

There are so many differences betwene schools that standardized testing is the most equitable way to resolve them.

That is, of course, unless you perfer to go back to the 1950s system, where you got into university based on what high school you went to.

Yes, but you're a genius, Minda. Of course you're not going to study and still get a high score.

But there are kids who get higher grades than me in school, and they do study, and they do poorly on the SAT.

The number 2 SAT in my school is a kid who's class rank is in the low 30s. He got a 1570 without studying.

My thoughts exactly . Accurate: No. Integral: Yes.

Last year my PSAT score was high, and next school year I am first in line to retake it for national merit. But, after taking a practice SAT I this summer I fell far short of my projected score. My class will be taking SAT IIs for college entrance, so hopefully my scores there will improve (I have no experience with SAT II whatsoever, so I'm not sure how I will do... I need to pick up one of those Princeton RV books).

However (in)accurate the score, it is still the best way to compare my/my school's abilities to those of others and (hopefully) help to set my college app apart from thousands of others.

Dude practice tests are horribly inaccurate. They are usually at least 80 or 90 points off for me.

The SAT IIs (not the new SATs) are very important and should be given more weight because they actually test academic readiness and not just reasoning skill.

how well off you are academiclly is important yes i mean yeah you need to kno your stuff to go on in life. But we have these test to test us for stuff anf you have kids that in school usually have dirt poor grades yet...pull 1400+ on the SAT's well i can explain that becaus am one such person.....My grades in school suck ill be ther first to admit that...then right after you'll ask y and ill talk you HOMEWORK SUX...i dont do, wont do it and proly never will. Homework is the teachers way of torturing us at home because they didnt have time to do it at school. every test i take at school i score 85 or better....and i never study.....In NY we also have Regents that we have to take for most classes. US and Global history, Math A & B, All sciences, 2 day English test, all Languages, Intro to Occ, etc...And then we have SATs and ACTs.....i mean people think that these test accurately test our ability to live and conduct our selves in the working world....They Dont..Never have never will.....some of the most intelligent people in the world are those that got the worst grades in school....Albert Einstien....lol he failed all grade school math and couldnt tie his shoes....but yet he was and still is one of the leading figures in Physics...a math based science....I feel that standardized testing test our ability to remember material given to us...nothing more....Everything you need to succeed in the world is never tought in the class room but in life. Hard Work, Determination, Teamwork, Cooperation, Communication, Self Motivation.......None of that is tested by an SAT or ACT...because it can only be seen by the character of a person....i personally feel that tests show us how well you have accepted the material the government has let you see.....for a true education you need to travel the world and gain other points of view...because the one we are taught is only that of you governments.....and well as we all kno....most of that information is not correct...

they are not accurate and they are not necessary. Since how is that one test is suppose to measure all the knowledge that you gained in high school/jr high/elementary school? There are things that we learn that aren't even on those "standardized" tests. I really think colleges should look at a student's high school history and not base their decision on just that one test.

yeah like kathleen says... i think we should take it. to see if the teachers are teaching us, students well or not. cause if they are not teaching the students well...then the future wont be like wat we want it to be... so yeah i think the testing should be going continuosly. even tho it's a hectic...and hard... i think we need to take it for our future use.

hey what if we are born retarded and we fail huh? thas not nice but ya taking it is for the best right?

how the heck did u get so high without studying.. almost all the words i looked at..i didnt even understand. ><'' can someone help me on the SAT I? hopefully i can take it sophomore year and get it over with.

well its an overall average of what kids have learned.... but still it seems inaccurate at times

Ah.. standardized testing.. one of society's most loathed paradoxes.. see, the thing is.. they arent accurate.. and they never will be.. but regardless, standardized testing is a fundamental and necessary part of the educational program..

Accuracy problems:
They arent accurate and never will be because:
a. every school teaches different curriculum.. certain aspects may be similar.. but there always will be differences..
b. there are test preparation centers, booklets for them.. how is it accurate if some ppl have access and use these preparation aids, and others do not?

Yet they are necessary because..
a. there needs to be some basis for comparision between different schools, different states
b. the government needs to know how its educational program are doing.. where funding should be allocated, etc..
c. colleges need to be able to decide and select those students best able to adapt and survive their program..


I agree with the integral part.. but even SAT II's are not accurate.. because the curriculum still differs.. and say for bio.. some ppl take SAT II biology after taking High school bio, but others take it after AP bio.. so there will be a big diff in scoring..

Sure standardized tests merely focus on the academic aspects of a person's development.. but that's what college applications and interviews are for, to fill in the other aspects

EDIT://

It is NOT an overall average.. its an overall average of academic learning in certain areas.. by no means can standardized testing measure emotional development, maturity, leadership qualities, or any of the like.. and yes it is inaccurate.. because there are just so many schools.. so many students.. its utterly IMPOSSIBLE to grade a "miracle test" that will be able to accurately judge the academic development of every student in the country.. you try developing a test to do that

gee! what a modest guy.

anyway, i think that standardized tests are necessary because they provide at least some basis (that's easily graded) for measuring one's fundamental reasoning skills. however, i believe that other factors, such as one's dedication, leadership positions, and extracurricular activities, are far, far better indicators of future success than a score from a multiple-choice test.

no it isnt accurate. because half the students who take it..don't give a shit abotu it..and just bubble in whatever. it doesnt count for anything..so it isnt accurate at all.

it`s not accurate bcus my teacher said that theyre only looking at how u did that certain day ..

^ and your high school diploma shows how you did that certain part of your life...??? that makes no sense.

it shows your capacity to answer the questions the average person at your age would know. i think they're very effective.

the only thing i know is that they better not bring standardized testing to college. there were talks of them doing it here in florida but there was public outcry....i took the ACT in high school and i scored (24), pretty good considering i christmas tree'd the last part of it

I got a 1310 on my SATs and I've basically coasted through high school. I'm not lazy by any means, but high school just is in no way challenging to me.

Here, we have the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and it's garbage. Freshman are required to take a practice version which, surpisingly, is the same version the juniors and seniors take. The only time I've taken any type of standardized testing seriously was when we had a chance to write about a bullsh!t prompt. That's when I used satirical humor in an effort to piss of the school board.

Standardized testing is just a way to monitor your school's 'academic progress' as well as come to a conclusion about minorities and how they test.

"Check which nationality best describes you; white/caucasian, black/african-american (not hispanic), asian/pacific islander, american indian, other"

I love not checking anything. Why should it matter?

^For statistical reasons? Why should it matter if you do mark it in?

Well in what other way do you propose we measure our knowledge and potential?(In a reasonable, efficient way)

As for me I got a 31 on the ACT.

im not sure on the SAT's and stuff.. all i know is that i need a couple more minutes so i wont have to rush through it.. yeah..

but standardized tests are okay or for me i guess..

The scores may only be accurate depending upon the school and its choice of teachers.

The worse off the school, the less funding, the less they can give to the students. And some of the students with potential may be held back from what they could have due to expenses.

That doesn't mean they can't take up independent studies. I, personally, can do pretty well with independent studies, but some don't.

Some IQ isn't always based upon the words you know, or the math you can compute. It also consists of how you process things. How you match things.

So, to get a great SAT isn't everything.

is all those tests just to see what the average is of the school? than i think thats pretty stupid, why do they need to know, seriously. tests are supposed to be for our benefit.

they r gay waste of time in my opinion.

I don't think we have to judge one's intelligence on a few tests, but more of the hardwork they put into their homework, test work, etc.


They're a waste of time. Let the teacher brand the student of what they deserve in a class.

it's not accurate, but it's necessary. i mean look at it this way, all tests whether standardized or not are used to determine your level. tests in general may not accurately determine your ability, but it attempts to determine if you've actually learned anything in class. for those in public schools, take ap/ib classes, or are in honors courses, all tests are standardized.

and multiple-choice tests mean less bias when grading. everything's fair; it's either right or wrong. the essay makes things more complicated, but i do appreciate the college board's efforts at including writing skills in the test.

standardized tests accurately measure your ability to take that standardized test.

^ Aw, look at that. Over a year ago.. Justin being Justin and me being me. Why, we haven't changed at all! And this was before Justin's miserable summer of PSAT/SAT practice tests, too...

No. Sure, they tell you what you don't know, but for ISteps, the standardized test for elementary, middle, and high schoolers in Indiana, for instance, you don't get the results for the tests at least until February, so I really think they're quite pointless. And the people who are seeing these poor results, what are they doing? Adding more tests! Because that'll totally help us understand better what we need to know.

Even what we need to know is bullcrap. In my school at least, they want a lot of the language classes out, and put in more math and science classes! Hurray! Because when all of us get out of college, we're totally going to go into something that has to do with math or science.. -_-

^ Wellllll...

But yea, going off of Frankie's (since we go to the same school), our school is dumb. They actually had even an inkling of an idea that they were going to fire our art teacher. Noh uh.

Oh they better not. If that was Mr. Hunter's idea, I swear I'm going to do major bodily harm to that man.

The SATs and ACTs are necessary, but I agree about the inaccuracy.
People in my area take tutoring classes starting 7TH GRADE (for $1000 PER LESSON) just to memorize that freakin vocabulary. Also, SAT added the writing portion to it, then people will start taking writing classes too. There's no meaning to the test if everyone needs to take vocabulary memorizing lessons to get a good score on it.

I am glad that universities look at GPAs more than the SAT scores.

Also, tests like STAR (standardized testing and reporting, for California) for students of all grades are necessary, but it shouldn't be taken that early (April). The courses for science, history, and math won't even be completed at that point. So, those who wanted to score an advanced in the tests would have to study the stuff (according to the state standards, that would be 30% of the entire curriculum) they haven't learned yet. Even most of the teachers at my school strongly opposed to the idea of state testings, but there's nothing they can do about it.

Then again, without the standardized tests you'd leave an abitrary hole in the education system. People can overexaggerate extra credit, grade points, and general fraud.

With standardized tests, you're forced into an uncomfortable classroom with 30-40 other kids for three hours on a Saturday to take a test. That's how it has to be.

SATs and other standardized tests are not a measure of intelligence, but of how much you know out of how much you should know/should have learned in school by then.

i think they're accurate, and i totally approve of thier usage. :thumbs up:

i love standardized tests as they give me the chance to excel as a student in a way suited for me. ive never been a great student so tests like the SATs and the MCAS(massachusetts comprehensive standardized test) are a way for me to show schools that im more than a subpar student.

^same here.