The SAT Is Back—And This Time, It’s Not Going Anywhere

[LevelUP]

The SAT Is Back—And This Time, It’s Not Going Anywhere
https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopher...-anywhere/

Should they have gotten rid of the SAT?

[NotJoeBiden]

Should they have gotten rid of the SAT?

Yes

[bluebooger]

Should they have gotten rid of the SAT?

Yes

incorrect

[ss20ts]

Yay a test that measures how well high schoolers can take a test. It's not super helpful. I know some people who bombed it and did well in college. I also know some people who had scores and bombed college. So what's the point of this test? Aside from profits.

[sanantone]

Every school should at least require a placement test; it doesn't have to be the SAT or ACT. Not only are functionally illiterate and innumerate people entering college, but they are also graduating from college. If a college is awarding degrees to illiterate and innumerate students, then that is on them. But the issue with so many students with good high school GPAs being ill-prepared for college is on the K-12 system.

[Jonathan Whatley]

Some parts of the world get by without high-stakes standardized tests as high school graduation gates or university or college admission criteria, like 8 of 10 Canadian provinces.

Two of the eight in recent years abandoned high-stakes standardized tests they administered previously (British Columbia and Saskatchewan).

For the two provinces that do use fairly high-stakes standardized tests, they’re province-wide tests in each subject integrated into upper-level high school courses and those course’s grades (Quebec and Alberta).

[sanantone]

Some parts of the world get by without high-stakes standardized tests as high school graduation gates or university or college admission criteria, like 8 of 10 Canadian provinces.

Two of the eight in recent years abandoned high-stakes standardized tests they administered previously (British Columbia and Saskatchewan).

For the two provinces that do use fairly high-stakes standardized tests, they’re province-wide tests in each subject integrated into upper-level high school courses and those course’s grades (Quebec and Alberta).

Numerous countries are currently experiencing declines in literacy and numeracy, including Canada.

[NotJoeBiden]

Some parts of the world get by without high-stakes standardized tests as high school graduation gates or university or college admission criteria, like 8 of 10 Canadian provinces.

Two of the eight in recent years abandoned high-stakes standardized tests they administered previously (British Columbia and Saskatchewan).

For the two provinces that do use fairly high-stakes standardized tests, they’re province-wide tests in each subject integrated into upper-level high school courses and those course’s grades (Quebec and Alberta).

Numerous countries are currently experiencing declines in literacy and numeracy, including Canada.

US literacy rates have been dropping for decades. Most colleges stopped using the SAT around 2020.

[sanantone]

Some parts of the world get by without high-stakes standardized tests as high school graduation gates or university or college admission criteria, like 8 of 10 Canadian provinces.

Two of the eight in recent years abandoned high-stakes standardized tests they administered previously (British Columbia and Saskatchewan).

For the two provinces that do use fairly high-stakes standardized tests, they’re province-wide tests in each subject integrated into upper-level high school courses and those course’s grades (Quebec and Alberta).

Numerous countries are currently experiencing declines in literacy and numeracy, including Canada.

US literacy rates have been dropping for decades. Most colleges stopped using the SAT around 2020.

A literacy decline among college graduates was documented in an early 2000s study. LBJ gave money directly to public colleges, which made them affordable to everyone. Then, the elite private schools started complaining because people were opting for public universities. So, Congress turned financial aid into a voucher system allowing students to take their aid anywhere. My theory is that this led to the creation of a bunch of low-quality schools and propped up schools that should have closed a long time ago. You don't need to read at the high school level to get into college, and you don't need to read at the high school level to graduate from college. 

I've had a few students who were native English speakers, but they struggled to write coherent sentences. Because I don't teach English, I can only take off so many points for writing errors. The quizzes are not proctored, so points can be made up there. Honestly, I don't know how many of my students lack proficiency in writing due to widespread AI use. Many professors are complaining about the number of students who are struggling with literacy. At the UC system, the big issue is lack of math preparation. Grade inflation in high school has made it so that GPA is no longer an accurate indicator of preparation.

[NotJoeBiden]

Some parts of the world get by without high-stakes standardized tests as high school graduation gates or university or college admission criteria, like 8 of 10 Canadian provinces.

Two of the eight in recent years abandoned high-stakes standardized tests they administered previously (British Columbia and Saskatchewan).

For the two provinces that do use fairly high-stakes standardized tests, they’re province-wide tests in each subject integrated into upper-level high school courses and those course’s grades (Quebec and Alberta).

Numerous countries are currently experiencing declines in literacy and numeracy, including Canada.

US literacy rates have been dropping for decades. Most colleges stopped using the SAT around 2020.

A literacy decline among college graduates was documented in an early 2000s study. LBJ gave money directly to public colleges, which made them affordable to everyone. Then, the elite private schools started complaining because people were opting for public universities. So, Congress turned financial aid into a voucher system allowing students to take their aid anywhere. My theory is that this led to the creation of a bunch of low-quality schools and propped up schools that should have closed a long time ago. You don't need to read at the high school level to get into college, and you don't need to read at the high school level to graduate from college. 

I've had a few students who were native English speakers, but they struggled to write coherent sentences. Because I don't teach English, I can only take off so many points for writing errors. The quizzes are not proctored, so points can be made up there. Honestly, I don't know how many of my students lack proficiency in writing due to widespread AI use. Many professors are complaining about the number of students who are struggling with literacy. At the UC system, the big issue is lack of math preparation. Grade inflation in high school has made it so that GPA is no longer an accurate indicator of preparation.

This was happening while the SATs were still being used, so how can you point to this and say the issue of literacy is because schools dropped the SAT?

And we discussed the UC math issue on another forum. It was not the whole UC system, just Berkeley complaining, as they are the only UC that doesn’t use a math placement test to place students in the correct math class. The SAT only goes up to Algebra II, which is well below the level of introductory calculus that most college students start at.