Question: Why does the College Board need to test 8th graders?
At a briefing to unveil the program Wednesday, College Board officials said that the exam — ReadiStep — would help students, their families and their schools plan high school programs that would increase preparedness for college. The idea is that the test will be for diagnostic purposes, not for evaluating whether students get into certain programs or win scholarships. The test will be “a launchpad” that “can help teachers change the course of students’ instruction,” said Lee Jones, the College Board’s senior vice president for college readiness.
College Board Unveils Test for 8th Graders :: Inside Higher Ed.
Answer: Revenue.
As the importance of the SAT is reduced for college acceptance, they need to make up the revenue somewhere.
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:07 PM
Yep…. just another test to get money out of students, schools and anyone else who will pay it.
October 24th, 2008 at 8:48 AM
This is ridiculous! What would it change or improve? The schools here have a defined curriculum that is required by the state to include specific content so the test scores of individuals would not matter because they have to take the same classes anyway. The students are lucky if they get to take just one elective each year so this test would just become another scoring mechanism for the school, like we need another one. The education system keeps stressing “pre-college curriculum” and have taken away all vocational studies so the student that could really benefit from those classes are stuck in classes that they have no use for and have difficulty understanding. This leads to the teacher “dumbing down” (couldn’t think of a more appropriate term) the classes so much that even the bright kids who plan on attending college are not prepared. Thanks to NCLB we have students graduating from high school that cannot read on a 3rd grade level (newspapers are written on a 6th grade level), simply to improve graduation rates and meet required school guidelines. While we are creating tests, why don’t we make one that will open the eyes of the government so the drastic decline in education over the last 20 years.
October 24th, 2008 at 9:45 AM
I agree. It is all about the money. At the school where I work, we give at least three diagnostic tests a year. In eigth grade, they actually take 4 per year. I just discovered that the reason we can’t afford some of the instructional materials that we need is that most of our money is being spent on these “predictive tests” that in my opinion do not predict very well at all.
October 24th, 2008 at 5:24 PM
I think that adding another test is absolutely ridiculous. It is just another way to get money. I seriously doubt this test will raise collegiate aspiration levels. If anything, students will be discouraged because they will think that this type of testing is all college will consist of. How much do standardized prove anyway? This test has three parts, reading, writing, and math. All important skills but what about science, technology, and problem solving? I think that these are critical skills in todays world.
I also loved how they are making the test cheap for schools. Only 10 dollars per student, but that is still expensive if a school district has 100 8th graders. I don’t know how school districts throughout the country are fairing when it comes to budgeting, but I know that schools systems in Kentucky have very low budgets right now.
I just think that all of these standardized tests are ridiculous. Kids hate school because they are getting tested all of the time. I basically spent my first 9 weeks of school testing my kids and they are just in first grade. They have already taken 5 tests. My feeling is students aren’t learning because so much time and focus is being placed upon these tests. The tests are taking away from much needed instruction and exploration time.
October 25th, 2008 at 10:47 PM
Standardized tests are really about money and to let the “powers that be” see who they should give more or less money. These tests aren’t good indicators of student performance, but show what they want to see. I agree that the testing centers are making the $$$$$$$$$$$!!
October 25th, 2008 at 11:15 PM
I agree with many of the other posts. I think that money is the main concern of most of the testing centers today. Many people do not test well under pressure. So, if they never achieve a certain score, does that mean that they are not capable??
October 26th, 2008 at 10:24 AM
Money – hmmmm. Most things that are done are about the money. Kentucky requiring that teachers get their masters in their first 10 years teaching is about the money. KERA is about MONEY – and not for the schools. Students are those that are suffering – how can it be change that students become the focus. Politics…..hmmmm. How many teachers would pursue masters degrees in Ky if the state didn’t require it? Check the statistics on states that don’t require teachers to have their masters and how many of them actually get it. As a side note, I am not a great test taker, I get anxious and always score higher the second time.
October 26th, 2008 at 9:35 PM
they have to keep figuring out ways to quantify who will be the workers, and who will be the managers of the work.