Presentation of Thesis Statement
For many years the SAT had been considered one of the most important tests that a student can take for the admission process. The SAT is thought to be one of the greatest measurements of academic success is high school and is considered one of the greatest predictors of academic success in college. In the recent years there have been people who have questioned the validity of the SAT, saying that it is an inaccurate measure of academic success and a poor predictor of academic success and does nothing except hinder the application and admission process for prospective students. The purpose of this paper is to present the two sides of the two sides of the argument (support of the test as an accurate measure and the support of the test as an inaccurate measure).
Study Report
In a report written in 1992, Neil J. Jenkins writes that some colleges in Canada are no longer using the SAT as a predictor of success by post-secondary institutions, and are not really considered in the admissions process either.
Study Findings
The institutions in Canada feel that the test has many limitations, which among these are: the SAT, in an attempt to free up confounding variables, the test is modified not to accommodate people who can not speak English. Some of the other modifications that the SAT endures are that they have no accommodations for the visually impaired and students with mobility issues. The majority of the students both disabled and not, scored in the similar percentile in the mathematics section of the exam. It was the verbal section that had the majority of the deviations. The finding in this report was also substantiated by Randy Bennett, who also performed studies that concluded with the same findings (Jenkins 1992). Randy Bennett, when speaking about the non-traditional students (non-traditional students is defined by students who suffer from disabilities (both learning and physical, students who have physical disabilities include hearing impairments, visual impairments, and mobility impairments), may not be close to the age of traditional students, students who’s first language is not English.), says that:
“Vocabulary items re also reported to be difficult for these students…Learning disabled pupils are sad to have particular difficulty with antonyms and with the logical relationships required by verbal analogies.” (Bennett, quote is embedded in the Jenkins report so no year given, page is provided from the Bennett report, page 44)
Beginning in mid-1789, and lasting until late-1799, the French Revolution vastly changed the nation of France throughout its ten years. From the storming of the Bastille, the ousting of the royal family, the Reign of Terror, and all the way to the Napoleonic period, France changed vastly during this time. But, for the better part of the last 200 years, the effects that the French Revolution had on the nation, have been vigorously debated by historian and other experts. Aspects of debate have focused around how much change the revolution really caused, and the type of change, as well as whether the changes that it brought about should be looked at as positive or negative. Furthermore, many debate whether the Revolutions excesses and shortcomings can be justified by the gains that the revolution brought throughout the country. Over time, historians’ views on these questions have changed continually, leading many to question the different interpretations and theories behind the Revolutions effectiveness at shaping France and the rest of the world.
A scholarly journal written by an anonymous author sheds light on the importance of standardized testing by showing its efficiency in higher level education. This article provides a solid counterargument for the use of standardized tests which is standardized tests being a good source of predicting grades throughout college as well as whether students will stay long enough to graduate. It is also able to establish that the SAT is effective in forecasting a grade-point average through the fourth year as well as predicting students study habits. The
... a tedious process, but the change can have immense, positive effects for the future college student. The ACT and SAT that supposedly measure a student's learning potential through multiple-choice questions should be replaced by a test of a student's desire to learn determined through the analysis of essays, recommendation letters, and school or community involvement. This change can result in a more academically motivated freshman class. Standardized testing in its current form does not accurately measure most students' learning potential. It does not allow for diversity and creates a huge hurdle for many potential academic achievers. An adjustment to a diverse, open testing format of the ACT or SAT and a stress on the student's other academic accomplishments can accurately measure the student's desire to learn, therefore measuring the student's learning potential.
The main reason people think that is because many of these students do not have access to the best resources. Many minority students do not live in neighborhoods with the best schools and cannot afford expensive tutoring sessions for the test. Since that has been an issue, there are government funded SHSAT prep courses to help students. In order to be certain that there is no more discrimination, the specialized schools just have to ensure that there are enough resources for all who need them. The SHSAT is the only way to objectively test students. Alternative methods-- including interviews, portfolios, GPAs, and teacher recommendations-- are subjective criteria since the administrators get to know each
The France practically changed from being an absolute monarchy to a republic overnight. Everything that the people of France had ever known was changed in a heart-beat. Their once beloved king had just been guillotined and it was now time to set up a new political system. The leaders of the revolution, the Jacobins, imagined a representative government that ruled on the principals of “liberte,” “egalite,” and “fraternity,” liberty, equality and broth...
A study conducted by Charles Rooney a member of the National Center for Fair and Open testing states that, "[More than 275 colleges and universities across the United States, acting on the belief that "test scores do not equal merit," do not use the SAT or the ACT to make admissions decisions about some part or all of their freshmen.]"
One of the main reasons that colleges have stopped looking at SAT scores is because there has recently been much speculation about the test being biased against certain groups, these groups being African Americans, Latinos, women, and those of a lower socioeconomic status. Also, some colleges are not placing an emphasis on the test anymore because the College Board has admitted that the SAT is designed so that only one half of those taking the test answer correctly. (Alfe, 2002)
Mr. Caperton who is the current president of the College Board who officiates the SAT states the SAT provides tools for college admissions to compare student (Caperton). The Ex-Governor of West Virginia also suggests that the test does not discriminate against minorities, he argues that colleges who make the SAT optional do it to enhance their status and not in the best interest of the students (Caperton). Alternative solutions exist. The test is going to have a major reform starting in 2016. Article from USA Today by Zoroya discusses the changes the test will have starting in the spring of 2016. According to the article by Zoroya officials from college board announced specific changes such as the test will become harder but questions will be more direct and practical, shortened duration of the test. The major change will be the change of high score from 2400 to 1600. I disagree with those who argue the SAT provides an equal playing field for all. There are studies that show the correlation between high SAT scores and high-income student. This date shows the inequality the SAT brings. Therefore all colleges should make the test as optional. I realize that the SAT gives students with bad grades the opportunity to attend good college with great SAT
Standardized tests are biased to certain students whether it is race, or even how much money the parent(s) earn. According to Standardized Testing and Its Victims by Alfie Kohn, the tests are a lot easier for children coming from richer communities like Dublin for example, then Cleveland where funding is scarce (Kohn, 2000). It is not just a rich and poor battle it also is a battle with students and regional or language barriers. According to Uyen Zimmerman, my former math instructor from Dublin Coffman, explained English as a second language students interpret asked questions phrased strangely to them differently than a student whose primary language is English. For example, she said there was a question on the ACT that asked a question about folding pizza and an ESL student thought that it meant putting pizza into a folder. Another example is asking students about black ice when students in states such as Hawaii and Louisiana, have never seen or heard of black ice (Zimmerman, 2014). I agree with her completely. All standardized tests are playing with what the creators of the test think is a “standard” and testing all students across America with the exact same questions.
Thousands of students around the country and around the world will be preparing for the SAT and ACT tests while trying to maintain a high GPA. These tests will potentially have a significant impact on students' lives. Some will be taking these tests for the second or even third time to get that 1500 out of 1600 or that 33 out of 36, that they long desire. These flawed tests are not truly able to measure how well students will perform in college as they are supposedly used to predict. A single test that students have to wake up for at six, seven in the morning on a Saturday and travel to some random location to take a difficult test should not impact the student's chance of getting into college, let alone predict how well they will do in college.
Standardized tests, such as the SAT and the SOL, have been implemented for many years now for individuals in grade school to take. The SOL’s, or Standards of Learning tests, are Virginia’s version of standardized tests that students are required to take in order to pass a class, evaluating their knowledge on a specific subject. SOL’s are mandatory for students to take as soon as they reach third grade. Additionally, the SAT is a test taken in the final years of high school that colleges look at when comparing students for post-secondary school. People concerned with student’s education can come to the common consensus that education is important and there should be some way to compare a student’s achievements to one another. However, the process
In the modern era, stereotypes seem to be the ways people justify and simplify the society. Actually, “[s]tereotypes are one way in which we ‘define’ the world in order to see it” (Heilbroner 373). People often prejudge people or objects with grouping them into the categories or styles they know, and then treat the types with their experiences or just follow what other people usually do, without truly understand what and why. Thus, all that caused miscommunication, argument or losing opportunities to broaden the life experience. Stereotypes are usually formed based on an individual’s appearance, race, and gender that would put labels on people.
Santa Barbara, CA: Learning Works, 1996. Print. The. Girod, Christina M. Learning Disabilities. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 2001. Print.
The classroom is a diverse place where learners from all different genres of life meet. Included in these learners are those that display learning disabilities. According to the British Columbia School Superintendent’s Association, ‘learning disabilities refer to a number of conditions that might affect the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding or use of verbal or nonverbal information. These disorders affect learning in individuals who otherwise demonstrate at least average abilities essential for thinking and/or reasoning’. They also posit that ‘learning disabilities result from impairments in one or more processes related to perceiving, thinking, remembering or learning. These include, but are not limited to language processing,
The French Revolution began in 1789 and ended in 1792, though certain people include Napoleon’s reign as part of the revolution, stating it ended in 1804. It was a time of confusion, disorder, and bloodshed. The commoners of France decided that they were being treated unjustly and planned to overthrow their king. The French Revolution was a long and terrible war, which promoted democracy and equality for the people of France and resulted, not only in the death of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI, but with France becoming a more liberal country. This essay will investigate causes of the French Revolution such as enlightenment ideas, taxation and economical problems, and the political system of the time. It will be shown that there is not a single direct cause for the occurrence of the French Revolution, but many different reasons of varying importance.