The SAT Still Measures What Matters
The SAT has been called many things. Too consequential. Too stressful. Too long. But in its 100-year history, no one ever called it easy. But lately, a claim that the…
Posts tagged with
“standardized tests”
The SAT’s Trust Fall
As the policy director for the Classic Learning Test (CLT), I’ve had dozens of conversations with lawmakers across the country about college entrance exams over the last year. Surprisingly, the…
Is Standardized Testing Good or Bad?
Should colleges and universities—especially those regarded as elite—use the scores students earned on standardized tests in making admissions decisions? That has been a heated subject of debate for several decades.…
Comparing Apples and Oranges at UNC-Chapel Hill
How do you measure curiosity? Or kindness? Is it even possible to do such a thing? And, if so, can it be done by an admissions office that reads more…
The Great AP Score Recalibration
Average course grades tend to be lower in some college subjects than others. Engineering and the “hard” sciences, for example, retain reputations for being “harder” subjects than the humanities and…
Restore the Science Section
For decades, aspiring college students have had to submit with their applications scores from standardized tests, such as the SAT or the ACT. Variation of test scores is inevitable—that’s the…
New Sanity on Standardized Tests
Dartmouth College announced last month that it is reinstating its mandatory-testing policy after four years of optional score submission for applicants. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, dean of admissions…
Proposed UNC-System Testing Policy Would Solve Nothing
Tomorrow, the UNC Board of Governors’ Committee on Educational Planning will be asked to vote on a proposed revision to its “Policy on Minimum Eligibility Requirements for Undergraduate Admission for…
The Coming Wave of Freshman Failure
A columnist covering K-12 education, I come to you, dear reader, with a warning: There’s a coming wave of college-freshman failure that will stress the institutions and systems of our…
Mandate Standardized Testing
The recent Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action forbids the use of race in college admissions. Yet North Carolina public universities are already finding ways to circumvent the spirit of…