Is it time to ditch the SAT and ACT?

Question

The whole article, which is worth a read, is here: https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/04/26/604875394/study-colleges-that-ditch-the-sat-and-act-can-enhance-diversity
Should schools get rid of these tests, since they tend to create an environment which lacks diversity?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but I wouldn’t say because it lacks diversity or is biased; I would say because it’s not an accurate representation of ability or intelligence.

Answer

A lot of degrees require standardized tests in order to graduate or be certified in your field of study. Teachers, accountants, lawyers, doctors, etc.  
To get into law school you have to take the LSAT and some people say they aren’t good standardized test takers so it’s not fair. I once heard professor say “well if you can’t take the LSAT then how are you going to pass the Bar exam?” and I thought that made a lot of sense. Why go through three years of law school if you can’t pass the exam to be able to practice law? 
I’m not saying I agree with standardized tests at all. I am more saying if we get rid of the SATs then we should also get rid of the rest of standardized testing as well.

Answer

sometimes the grants given for higher scores are the only ways students could afford college. And they have thousands of prep books to help prepare students for them with online tutorials for added help.

Answer

Absolutely. I don’t believe that those tests show your college readiness skills at all. They are good for people who are good at standardized testing, but scoring high in math and reading doesn’t make you ready for college at all. I would prefer to judge who is ready for college by looking at their courseload; are you taking dual enrollment? AP classes? IB? Honors? If you are in lower/average levels, are you at least scoring well on those classes? Can you handle a job or a heavy courseload and not go under? 
I saw so many kids do well on their SATs but they were completely fucked in their first year of college because they had never taken an advanced class in their life, nor did they realize how independent they would need to be to get up on their own time to go to class, balance their studies, pay their own bills, arrange for summer school if needed/desired, confront teachers THEMSELVES (no parents emailing your professors, sorry), etc. 
I’d much rather see schools pressure the kids to do things to genuinely get ahead in life like dual enrollment or search for internships instead of stress MONTHS of studying for one test that just shows if you’re good at taking long hour tests and know reading/math well. I made a 1220 on the SAT. It wasn’t amazing, I believe it was just a slightly above average score. Within 2 months I was working a paid internship at BMW because they reached out to me personally as they were so impressed with the courseload I was taking and they liked my availability since I was taking dual enrollment online. 
My friend made a 1540, thought they would automatically get into college bc it was a pretty good score, and slacked off of the rest of their studies because their school had led them to believe that the SAT counted for everything. They never did get any offers and they actually got rejected by their top college picks bc they didn’t do anything impressive course wise nor did they do anything outside of school like work a job or take harder classes. A good sat score alone will not save you when there are so many kids nowadays doing so many impressive things, and I hate that many schools make it sound like you’re good to go if you have a good sat score. Some colleges actually dgaf about the sat, I remember the Honors one I applied to specifically said to NOT send in SAT scores and to instead describe with proof the heavy courseload & extracurricular activities I was handling at the time to prove my readiness. 
 I would much much much rather see schools stress the importance of doing things that will actually get you further ahead in your studies and career at an early age over a standardized test that many times is not even proctored correctly.

Answer

I think so. There are better ways to determine admissions.

Answer

I never told them.  I don’t see the point in them.

Answer

Yes, I got a 17 on the ACT because I have an eye disease that causes double vision and I read very slowly because of it. The ACT is ridiculously timed and I was only able to answer about 10 questions in each section before time was about to be up, so I hurried to fill the rest in randomly. You can’t get into any university in my state with an ACT score under 20. I think it’s really unfair to use a test like that to determine someone’s intelligence.

Answer

I vote yes

Answer

I think the tests should stay because they are used for more than just college applications.
I teach in Michigan where every junior is given the opportunity to take the SAT for free during the school day (no more forced Saturday tests and paying for it). Students can choose to retake and pay for it, but one is given for free. Then we (the teachers) can log in to college board website and see every students score, how they compared to our other students and how we as a school compare to others. We then make educational changes in the curriculum to help future students. We actually just analyzed last years data as we look to plan next year and we found that our middle and lower math students are performing above the national and state average, but we have a smaller percentage of top performers than the state average. So next year we are planning on doing more tiered assignments to help challenge our top level students. This is the only test we have that we get specific data that includes the rest of the state and other states.
Now even though I think the tests should stay, I don’t agree with colleges that decide solely on one test score. It should be part of the consideration- not all of it.

Answer

How does it promote a lack of diversity? 
I was always told it was a good way to gauge aptitude and I totally see that based on students I’ve talked to. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Is it time to ditch the SAT and ACT?

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