Sats

SAT Debate: Should the Scholastic Aptitude Test Be Used in College Admissions' Lindsie Dymburt 11/10/09 Educ 258010 Professor Tara Falcone Why all the Fuss Over the Scholastic Aptitude Test' The Scholastic Aptitude Test is an anxiety that every potential college student faces. I find it fascinating how colleges use this one test to judge students. How can one test have such impact on the College Board’s decisions when applicants apply' From my personal experiences, I feel the answer is: It cannot! Before I took the SAT exam with the rest of my fellow peers in my junior year of High School, I always imagined that I would do well considering I had a 4.0 grade point average. However, it always struck me how this one test was such a big deal in the world of college admissions. Do grades mean nothing' What about all the extra curricular activities students partake in' I was against this test before I even sat down to take it. My anger towards this test enhanced when I got my scores back and my guidance counselor actually stated, “Uh-oh! These scores are scores that a C average student should get, not a 4.0 student like yourself. This discrepancy in your scores and your grades will be an issue when applying to college.” This meeting with my guidance counselor made me think that going to college, especially my dream school, the University of Delaware was just a dream, never to be a reality. I decided to rebel by writing my college admissions essay about my feelings about the SATs. I decided to not even send my scores out to schools. This worked out for me considering that I am currently a student at the University of Delaware. My take on the issue is clear based on personal experience, but here is the controversy itself followed by both sides of the argument. Scholastic Aptitude Controversy The Scholastic Aptitude Test, more commonly referred to as the SATs, tests high school students’ knowledge in mathematics, reading, and writing as they prepare to apply to various Universities. The College Board (2009) explains how this test sums up to three hours and forty-five minutes of actual testing time totaling to four and a half hours including breaks. Each of the three sections contains a maximum possibility of 800 points, for a total maximum score of 2400 points (p. 1). David Wilmouth, the author of Should the SATs be a Factor in College Admissions (1991) states: “Throughout the history of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, bitter controversies and questions have arisen concerning its validity, but this test has continuously been used unrelentingly for years despite the unremitting attacks” (p. 4). The supporters feel this test solidifies present and future academic achievement while the challengers argue the ineffectiveness of this test. Despite the controversy, the test remains in place; however, the fight continues while some use their own tactics to eliminate the SATs. This boycott takes place by some Universities when they decide to not use the test as a tool in their acceptance verdict. Vice President of development and research for the College Board, Wayne Camara, (2008) explains that "The SAT is the most vigorously and well-researched test in the world, and yet nothing seems to be more controversial than the SAT” (p. 1). Will the presence of the test continue to be a battle, or will one side win' The Scholastic Aptitude Test Advocates Every debate has strong advocates to support a claim. Supporters of the SAT exam claim that the test evaluates students’ achievement. A determined researcher attempted to figure out the validity of secondary academic achievement using SAT scores. Neil Jenkins (1992) wrote The Scholastic Aptitude Test as a Predictor of Academic Success and explains, “The college board claims that the combination of the SAT with high school grade point average (GPA) provide greater predictive validity than the high school GPA alone” (p. 8). Grade point average alone cannot possibly narrow down the applicants because one category alone cannot be a determiner. However, while using grade point average and SAT scores together, the weight of the student’s achievement overshadows the students having only excelling grade point averages. Universities need to distinguish between their applicants with fair and unbiased strategies. Since GPA alone does not portray enough force, the SATs can give a more detailed history to every student. Difficulties arise when Universities must take thousands of applicants and minimize the applications to the size they desire for their upcoming freshman class. A University sets standards so that the students attending fall in an average of scores the admission officers expect. Having a fast and reliable determiner such as the SATs aids the admissions board in choosing their perfect fit for the upcoming year. The Admissions Equation by Dean Whitla (1984) states how a college admissions officer can simply reject a student because of low SAT scores (p. 23). SAT score limits allow the admissions process to be much easier and concrete. An applicant with an SAT score not up to the University’s standards gets dismissed to save time and energy. Additionally, Wilmouth explains how students consider applying to specific colleges based on whether their SAT scores meet the acceptable requirements for that college (p. 15). If an individual’s SAT scores simply do not meet the College’s standards, the decision is made by the student not to apply. Not only does this allow the student to base their judgments on the requirements needed for a particular school, but students will also feel more comfortable attending a University where every student falls in the same average of SAT scores (Wilmouth, 1991). Advocates of the test argue that the importance of the SAT scores to the application process is a sufficient enough reason that the test must exist. The SAT has been found to correlate with high school grade point average. The National Center for Educational Statistics (2007-2008) illustrates how high school grade point average positively correlates with SAT scores. A positive correlation demonstrates that as high school grade point average decreases, SAT scores decrease as well. |High School Grade Point Average |Critical Reading Score |Mathematics Score |Writing Score |Total Score | |A+ (97–100) |595 |615 |595 |1805 | |A (93–96) |559 |578 |555 |1692 | |A- (90–92) |529 |547 |523 |1599 | |B (80–89) |474 |484 |465 |1423 | |C (70–79) |421 |423 |408 |1252 | |D, E, or F |402 |411 |390 |1203 | Figure 1: Chart condensed from original chart: High School GPA vs. SAT Scores nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d08 Figure 1 portrays statistics from 2007-2008. As seen in the table, a higher grade point average results in a higher SAT score. A miniscule difference of SAT scores does not exist between these grade point averages. Even a small four-point difference between an A and an A+ results in a large difference of 113 points on the SATs (p. 1). Supporters of the SAT claim that the implications of large discrepancies of SAT scores portray the necessity of this test. In 2005, the College Board conducted a study to research the correlation between SAT scores and first year college grade point averages. The sample included more than 151,000 students who were attending over 100 Universities across the United States. Writing correlates with first year college grade point average with a .51 coefficient, reading a .47 coefficient, and mathematics a .48 coefficient. SAT totals correlate with first year college grade point average positively with a .53 coefficient. This correlation coefficient illustrates that a strong positive correlation exists between SAT scores and first year college grade point average. Camera also studies how SAT scores aid in the prediction of freshman college success, and even overall four-year college success. Wayne Camera states: “Thousands of validity studies and intense analysis of the SAT reveals that it has helped to reliably predict college success…and although there are fewer validity studies that explore overall success in college, the SAT is also a good indicator of four-year grade point averages” (Espejo, 2008). Therefore, not only does SAT correlate with first year college success but scores relate to overall college accomplishments as well. The Scholastic Aptitude Test defenders argue that students’ previous and future success positively correlate to earned scores on the SATs. Thus, college admissions can use this exam as a way of determining the future students attending their University. People strongly feel without the test, there would be no comparative measure because grade point average alone does not display a student’s ability. The scholastic aptitude test exists despite the arguments that challengers attempt to pursue. The Scholastic Aptitude Test Adversary Every debate has strong opponents to fight a claim. To show how students feel about the SATs, a survey in 1991 found that “the majority of students think that one’s performance on the SAT has little to do with how well one will do in college” (Wilmouth, 1991). Wilmouth begins by explaining the types of questions that exist on the SATs. The questions presented allow students to get the correct answer by guessing and through the process of elimination. This displays the student simply knows which answer does not make sense, but not necessarily the correct answer. Actually having knowledge on the concept does not matter in these types of multiple-choice questions (p. 5). The SATs cannot determine success when the test taking skills can be considered a game. The view of the SATs presents a culturally biased atmosphere. The College Board never felt the necessity to publish scores based on ethnicity. However, when convinced to publish the scores in the 1980’s the scores shocked the board. For example, blacks and other minority groups scored an average of 100 points lower on each section of the SATs than whites (Wilmouth, 1991). Marilyn Gilroy, author of Colleges Making SAT Optional as Admissions Requirement (2007), explains that women also face bias on the SATs: “Bias against females on the SAT, can be demonstrated by the fact that females receive better grades in college when matched with males in comparable classes, yet score 35 to 40 points lower on the SAT” displaying the invalidity of the test (p. 35). To further back up the biases on the SATs, scores correlate positively with economic background. Socioeconomic Status Vs. SAT scores |Less than $10,000/year |1313 | |$10,000 - $ 20,000/year |1350 | |$20,000 - $ 30,000/year |1390 | |$30,000 - $ 40,000/year |1436 | |$40,000 - $ 50,000/year |1477 | |$50,000 - $ 60,000/year |1499 | |$60,000 - $ 70,000/year |1516 | |$70,000 - $ 80,000/year |1534 | |$80,000 - $100,000/year |1571 | |More than $100,000/year |1656 | Figure 2: Chart condensed from original (Gilroy, 2007) Figure 2 illustrates that the higher socioeconomic status relates with a higher SAT score. The more money one family possesses, the better the results on the SATs. As the family income increases, the total SAT increases portraying a positive correlation between the two variables. It is unfair to the students who come from a low socioeconomic status to not have the chance to perform as well on this exam. Because the test preparation strongly suggests tutors, and classes, these students cannot take advantage of what SAT preparation is out there. Shouldn’t a test that measures academic success be possible to take successfully no matter how much money is poured into preparation' This, in turn, affects the student population applying to college. Students from low-income households might not even apply to a certain college because of the SAT score that might be required for a specific institution. Since minorities are over-represented in low socioeconomic brackets, this results in minorities not being seen as heavily in applying to more prestigious universities. It is not fair for high socioeconomic status to correlate with high SAT scores and low socioeconomic status to be correlated with low SAT scores. Socioeconomic status should not affect SAT scores if the test measures what it should be testing: academic achievement. Neil Jenkins also discusses the bias in the SATs when comparing disabled students to non-disabled. Discussion about analogies and logical relationships possess great difficulty for disabled students. He explains how learning disabled and deaf students receive lower scores than students without disabilities (p. 6). Jenkins concludes his arguments about the discrepancy for disabled students by explaining, “If the accurate assessment requires that accommodation be made, such as individual interpretation by the examiner, then the test may lose reliability” (p. 7). Because all universities and high schools know the importance of this test, a test to this fame should be equal for all potential test takers. A study in 1992 illustrated the lack of necessity for the SATs. This study found that “SAT scores ranked behind high school grade point average as the most valid predictor of freshman success” (Jenkins, 1992). Jenkins continues to dispute how SATs predict where a student will go to college rather than what the test should be determining, how well the student will succeed (p. 8). If the SATs do not predict success in college, opponents argue that they should not be used at all. Many universities realize that SATs should not be necessary. According to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, 740 Universities realize that SATs should not be seen because they lack validity (Gilroy, 2007). Rollins college states: "We believe that a candidate's academic record, level of challenge in coursework, talents, interests, and potential to contribute to the Rollins community should be as important, if not more important, than test scores” (Gilroy, 2007). Another example from Drew University in New Jersey decided SAT scores in the application could be optional if the applicant wants the University to be aware of the scores. After this statement came out, a 20% increase in applicants presented to Drew University with students’ grade point average even higher than usual. Knox College in Illinois also received an increase in applicants when SAT score reporting was dropped from the application. The president of Knox College explained, "We live in a world increasingly obsessed by testing. And teaching to a test often has become more important than actually learning something...We need to take a leadership role in reducing the fixation on college-admission testing" (Gilroy, 2007). The SATs went through a revision in 2005. The average scores on the new SAT actually declined about seven points. This score decline became the largest in 31 years (Gilroy, 2007). If a revision on the test does not help the reliability of the test, than the test further displays a lack of necessity. Wilmouth (1991) claims that the validity and reliability of the SATs continues to be inadequate: “If colleges are concerned with academic quality or improving the number of years their students complete, the SAT fails to provide any substantial assistance” (p. 3). The SATs increasingly relate more to test taking than actually learning the material. Having a lack of the knowledge actually presented in the SATs does not tell a University the ability of a student; however, it can only translate to a University how the student learned the test taking skills needed for the SATs. Rules are set out for taking the exam which are made clear by College Board, such as to answer the easy questions first, make educated guesses, skip questions that you cannot answer, limit your time on each question, and be careful of those test bubbles that must be filled in correctly while erasing the mistakes thoroughly. What I mean when I say the test is a game, is how courses such as Kaplan, Princeton Review, and teachers and tutors drill rules into the test takers’ heads. Test takers must know that leaving a blank answer is more appropriate than bubbling the wrong answer because no points are deducted, whereas wrong answers have deductions. I went through tutors, and teachers in high school who really stressed the reading section of the SAT. There are actually tutors who explain, “Do not read the entire passage. It will not help you get the correct answer, and will waste your time.” What kind of test questions can be legitimate if test takers are taught to not even read the entire passage' Why is a test this long if test takers learn there is simply not enough time if you read everything through' The game rules consist of knowing what to read, how long to take, and how to cancel out answers without even reading a passage at all! It is possible to cancel specific answers without even reading: that just seems that the test taking skills are more important than the knowledge needed to know why answers are incorrect. SATs cannot measure a student’s ability. One test alone does not verify the type of student one may be. An excellent or insufficient score just displays a student’s ability at taking one test, instead of their ability at being successful in their academics. A test that serves no purpose should therefore face elimination. Take myself for example: I received a 4.0 and a SAT score that does not mirror my academic performance in the least. However, there are those students who receive an outstanding SAT score with a very low grade point average. One test does not always match to the student’s academic ability. The Correct Side to the Scholastic Aptitude Argument Debates about any controversial topic exist continuously with both sides presenting facts and opinions. This being stated, I feel that the debate to the SATs should no longer even be a controversy. You might be thinking: because SATs strongly predict the end of freshman year grade point average when combined with high school grade point average, why not keep the exam' The problem here is that there are issues that are seen with SAT scores and grade point average discrepancies. Even though this discrepancy might not be for the majority of students, it still affects a handful negatively. A test to this degree should not be used if it is affecting anyone negatively. If it cannot prove to correlate positively 100%, then the existence is unnecessary. This test illustrates to be a waste of money, time, and energy and therefore needs to be eliminated. The length of the SATs possesses a debate in itself. Phillip Ackerman (2009), named his research Test Length and Cognitive Fatigue: An Empirical Examination of Effects on Performance and Test-Taker Reactions, and concluded that the test being four and a half hours long does not permit a student to keep their effort at the same level the entire exam. This results in fatigue and a lack of performance. The draining effect causes students to not want to retake the exam to better their score (p. 176-177). The study displays that the majority of students decrease their effort as the exam proceeds. A student cannot possibly perform to their maximum ability, when their effort cannot stay stable. Scores cannot determine academic achievement. In an Academic Journal, The American (Washington, DC), Charles Murray published an article in 2007 that states: “Adding the SAT to the other two elements (grade point average and achievement tests) added just one-tenth of a percentage point to the percentage of variance in freshman grades” (p. 33). If the SATs play such a miniscule amount, a 0.1 contribution to prediction beyond grade point averages and achievement tests to be exact, to the success of college freshman grades, then the SATs clearly should not be a necessity. Murray continues to discuss how income correlates positively to SAT scores. When he controlled income and the education a student received, SATs did not predict freshman grade point average (p. 33). With the bias controlled, SAT scores display to be insignificant in a student’s future success. Even bias in grades being unequal amongst different colleges came into effect to portray the ineffectiveness of SAT scores. Murray explains: “It broke down results by college (an A at Berkeley might not mean the same as an A at Santa Cruz) and by major (an A in a humanities course might not mean the same as an A in physical science.” The SATs again exhibit that even with discrepancies in college grades across different schools and majors, the high school grade point average can accurately determine the success of a student by itself (p. 33). Murray is arguing how there are obvious incongruities with grades. An extreme example, an A at Harvard cannot be equivalent to an A at a community college. Murray feels that grade point average alone can determine the success of a student. High grades in high school will correlate to high grades in a University. It makes sense to compare a high school’s competency to that of a college at the same degree. Every high school has different rankings, so an A in a less qualified high school, would be an A in a less dignified University. Even though grades between majors and colleges vary, Murray found that grade point average in high school will determine the grades received in college no matter where or what major. The use of grade point average and academic achievement instead of SATs can portray a student’s future academics in college. A study in 2002 shows a correlation between SAT scores and achievement tests. The positive correlation summed to .86. This correlation displays almost a perfect direct correlation. This being stated means that achievement tests can take the place of SATs. (Murray, 2007). Achievement tests can be referred to as exams taken in Advanced Placement (AP) classes in high school. These tests are based on diverse subjects. Even though SATs are split up into different core subjects, AP exams focus on what was taught that year to the class. The SAT is compiled of material that was not even necessarily taught to a student at all, but material that the student “should know.” AP exams prove what knowledge the student gained that year in that class. If they excel on this test, this illustrates that the student can take material that is new to them, learn and work with it throughout the year, and prove their advanced knowledge on the subject at the end of the year. SATs do not display to be a necessity when achievement tests, such as AP exams, can accurately distinguish the success of students. Murray addresses the issue of money, as do many other opponents to the SATs. Wealthy families can afford tutors, the Kaplan program, and the Princeton University class. He also feels that rich families will find a diagnostician to label their child with a learning disability allowing unlimited time to take the SATs. Tutors, which Murray calls coaching, increase scores by a few dozen points, which does sway college admissions officers. He concludes: “If you’re rich, you can buy your kids a high SAT score” (p. 33). Along with socioeconomic status, 90% of students scoring above 700 on sections of the SAT have a parent who has a graduate degree. This unfair bias affects the first generation of college students in their family. The SATs main reason for existence is to adequately predict first year college grade point average. The College Board argues that when they conducted their study in 2005, showing a .53 correlation between SAT scores and first year grade point average, this correlation should be seen as an excellent and valid determiner. However, .5 correlation breaks down to only 25% of the sample being related. Clearly, SATs cannot be a determiner of freshman grade point average if the results only held true for 25% of the sample (Espejo, 2008). 75% of the sample does not have SATs and freshman grade point average positively correlating. Because only 25% have SATs and freshman grade point average correlating positively, the SATs cannot be seen as being a reliable measure on its own. Taking all of this information into consideration, I think that the SATs in isolation only provide a quick and easy insignificant number to brand a student. A high scoring student with a perfect grade point average of 4.0 can have an SAT score that seems to lessen their academic achievements. This score makes Universities question the lack of difficulty of the high school, and how a student accomplishes great grades with such a poor score. This discrepancy illustrates how SATs cannot be the focus of a student’s success. How does one test determine the past, present, and future academic achievements of a student' The answer: one test alone simply cannot! Universities need to acknowledge grades, classes taken, the high school attended, extra curricular activities, and of course their college essay. One test does not tell a University anything about a student besides their ability to take one single test. A major reason for getting rid of the SATs states: “Knowing those scores is too dispiriting for those who do poorly and too inspiriting for those who do well. The last thing we need are numbers that give these very, very lucky kids a sense of entitlement” (Murray, 2007). After reflecting on the research presenting that the SATs cannot accurately determine college success or high school achievement alone, the decision easily points towards the Scholastic Aptitude Test being an invalid and unreliable measure of student success showing its lack of necessity to exist. What Should be Done' In researching both sides of the controversy, I have found that there are other options that can be used for admissions rather than the SATs. The achievement test as researched better correlates with academic success than the SATs. If this is so, why not rid of the test if they are not serving the correct purpose' Colleges can look at grades, high school involvement, community service, and their entrance essay of course. One test brands students with a number that can shed a negative light on them when realistically their grades can be stupendous and their involvement can be enormous. However, getting rid of this test will cause consequences. It makes college decisions more difficult. This test allows for college admissions to right off the bat cut away students based on their SAT scores. If the SAT scores do not match up with the standards of the University, those students can automatically be dismissed. However, without this test, the college admissions will really have to dig and learn about each applicant in order to narrow down their applicants. The consequences do not overshadow the benefits of getting rid of this test. The benefits of destroying the SATs consist of allowing for students to relax more. Students stress about taking the SATs even if their grades are outstanding. If a student has poor grades, and they know they cannot rely on their good test taking skills, this will force students to work harder in school, which will really effect their motivation in a positive way allowing for better grades. Students can keep up this motivation in college and perform better throughout the rest of their education. I think that the academic world would be a better place without the Scholastic Aptitude Test. However, I do feel that erasing this exam completely, would cause chaos in the education world. If it is too difficult to do, I feel that more research must be done by college board admissions when looking into an applicant. Take myself as an example again. I feel that because I argued my opinion in my admissions essay, I was taken seriously and was understood. I explained how I was even the student in elementary school who teachers pushed and made exceptions for me to be in the honors program. I had to be an exception because my scores on the placement test were not sufficient. If this problem existed even when I was younger, I feel that colleges understood that my test taking skills were lacking, but my overall grades were exceptional. If the SAT must stay in existence, I feel that admissions will have to dig deep into grades, and the high school a student attended, and even the family background to figure out if they really want this student at their university without dismissing them because of a single test. If work applications and graduate school applications ask applicants for an explanation if they wish dealing with any discrepancy with specific grades or other issues, then undergraduate universities should ask that as well if the SAT must stay in place. My Future With the existence of the SATs still in place, I worry about my future profession of teaching which is nerve-wracking. Considering that I am teaching elementary school, the SATs will not directly relate to my classroom; however, they will play an indirect role. How will the SATs affect teachers of my generation in the elementary classrooms' Due to the knowledge that parents and educators have about the large role of the SATs in college admissions, along with how students focus on and work up to succeeding at this test, it places a strain on the educational world. The pressure of standardized tests in general will affect myself as a teacher. Each state has state exams where the students need to do well to prove how their school is doing. Standardized tests are forcing teachers to teach the game of test taking and teaching the skills needed to succeed on these state exams. This places stress on teachers to make sure their class can excel on this test. Doing well on a state test should not be the overall concern for teachers. What about the knowledge and path the students take as they head up through the elementary grades' Their path and graduated success should be weighted more than their achievement on one test. I agonize as a future teacher that classrooms are run based on the knowledge that must be taught to do well on these state tests to illustrate the academic success of the school in general. I hope that standardized tests do not continue to play the dominant role in classrooms like they do today. Final Thoughts After researching this topic that I feel very strongly about, my opinion about the SATs have not changed. If anything, I feel more confident in advocating my strong disbelief about the test because of the research that backs up my personal opinion. I have no doubt in my mind that this debate will continue. Moreover, I hope that research continues to illustrate the lack of necessity for the SATs. Maybe in the future the research will finally be ended when other factors continue to portray a great correlation to academic achievement. Works Cited Ackerman, P. (2009). Test length and cognitive fatigue: an empirical examination of effects on performance and test-taker reactions. journal of experimental psychology: applied, 15(2), 163-181. Retrieved October 18, 2009, from the EBSCOhost database. Gilroy, M. (2007). Colleges making SAT optional as admissions requirement. The Education Digest, 73(4), 35-39. Retrieved October 18, 2009, from the WilsonWeb database. Jenkins, Neil. (2002). The scholastic aptitude test as a predictor of academic success: a literature review. (opinion/position papers, essays). Canada Information Analysis Viewpoints. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED. 354243). Murray, C. (2007). SAT: the SAT got him into Harvard from a small Iowa town. But now, Charles Murray wants to abolish the test. It's unnecessary and, worse, a negative force in American life.(scholastic aptitude test).. The American(Washington, DC), 1(5), 33. Retrieved October 18, 2009, from the Academic OneFile database. SAT - college admissions - critical reading, math, & writing. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2009, from http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/about/SATI.html SAT mean scores of college-bound seniors, by selected student characteristics: Selected years, 1995–96 through 2007–08 . (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2009, from nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d08 Standardized testing measures college success, 2008. (Ed) Espejo, Roman. chapter in an edited collection. Validity of the SAT. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2009, from professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/FYGPA_Validity_Summary_keyfindings.pdf Whitla, D. (1984). The admissions equation. Change, 16(8), 20-30. Retrieved October 17, 2009, from the JSTOR database. Wilmouth, David. (1991). Should the SAT be a factor in college admissions' (opinion/position papers, essays). (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 345592).