What SAT Scores Say About Teacher Effectiveness
The SAT has been in the news again, this time because of the claim that test-optional policies are a way for colleges to covertly impose affirmative action. It’s true that…
Posts tagged with
“standardized tests”
The Truth About Student Mismatch
Among the arguments against the policy of admitting students to colleges because they have the right ancestry—that is, they appear to come from “underrepresented” minority groups—is the fact that it…
Did You Know? High School Graduation Rates Increased (!) During the Pandemic
While, in the last few years, higher education has seen dwindling enrollment rates, high school graduation rates have gone in the opposite direction. In fact, high school graduation rates have…
Rescuing “Virtue and Talents” Amidst the War on Tests
On March 28, 2022, Stuart Schmill, Dean of Admissions and Student Financial Services at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced the school’s plan to restore the consideration of standardized…
The US Test Mess
Standardized educational tests do not perfectly measure student aptitude or achievement, and no one argues that they do. But they can differ from all other available measures in two respects:…
Should We Replace Racial Preferences with Socio-Economic Preferences?
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear two cases that challenge the legality of racial preferences in college admissions, one involving Harvard and the other the University of North Carolina.…
Are College Exit Exams a Valid Measure of Learning? It’s Complicated
Given the enormity of the public and private investment in US higher education, of course we should evaluate its effectiveness. But, how? It is claimed that over 200 higher education…
Did You Know? The UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees Voted Against Ending Discrimination in University Admissions
Last week, the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees considered a resolution to end discrimination and special preferences in all the university’s activities. The Board ultimately rejected the resolution, but it…
Making a College Degree More Valuable the Wrong Way
It’s old news by now that the wage premium attached to a college degree largely depends on the field of study. Engineering and health care, for example, are far more…
Could College Exit Exams Restore Confidence in Higher Ed?
Although there is no shortage of college graduates, a degree alone, unfortunately, does not guarantee students learned anything of substance while in college. The grade point averages listed at the…