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SAT Changes
Understanding the changes in the SAT, and what is driving it
My view if you understand why something is happening, such as the changes to the SAT, it's easier to figure out the how and what. My 2 cents on why the changes are happening to the SAT. The major one being the ACT was taking away market share.
- The essay scores were a joke, and gave points more for length than the ability to write.
- The ACT was taking market share away from the SAT, with more students taking the ACT in 2012 than the SAT.
- Common Core Standards are now in the new SAT. The theory being the SAT will now be closer aligned to school curriculums. Common Core has been adopted by 45 states.
- SAT's will no longer deduct points for wrong answers, so now you can guess!
- The score is now going back to a maximum of 1600, from 2400.
- The changes will not happen to 2016.
- Many schools (over 800) have made submitting test scores optional, and there is just a .6% difference in graduation rate.
- Only 8% of low income students get a bachelors by age 24.
- The new test is supposed to make it harder for preparation classes to make a huge difference.
References:
College Board Shakes Up SAT - The Wall Street Journal
Education Standards Experts Blast SAT Changes - Breitbart News
Major changes coming to 2016 SAT test: Here's what, how and why - CNN
New SAT part of a changing admissions process - USA Today Labels: academics, college, college admissions, SAT
Machine Graded Essays?
Grading is hard, and you need a rubric to do fair grading. There is also the headache where you can favor some students over others. The headache on required essays such as the SAT, is the well prepared have a formulic way to get the maximum points possible, often which has little to do with excellent writing. My guess is machine graded essays will just make this worse.
Professors at odds on machine-graded essays | Inside Higher EdLabels: college admissions, SAT
SAT Cheating Arrest
After Arrest, a Wider Inquiry on SAT Cheating - NY Times.com
I wonder how wide spread this is. What I find interesting is how it was found out. I wonder how long till handwriting recognition and matching is done standard on the SAT tests, as a way to deter testing. If I was the college board, I would do some investment to make this technology a reality.Labels: Chinese SAT II, SAT
Arrests in SAT Cheating Scandal
A reflection of how high stakes College Admissions has become. A student got paid to take the SAT tests for others in NY, 7 students have been arrested so far. 13 other students to be charged soon.
The more interesting question was how did the person get caught? Per the article ETS looked for a large descrepancy between academics and the SAT scores.
More arrests from top schools expected in SAT cheating scandal - LA Times Labels: college admissions, SAT
Learning English, Chinese-Style
Interesting article about the learning Chinese industry in China:
http://the-diplomat.com/china-power/2011/03/31/learning-english-chinese-style/
And specifically about studying for the SAT test.
My daughter went through a class on the SAT and I also taught one for a while, so I have a few thoughts on the matter.
1. Vocabulary lists do help.
2. Learning test techniques help.
3. Understanding the viewpoint the questions are written helps.
4. Reading is a great way to expand your vocabulary.
5. Practice, practice, and practice. Labels: SAT
SAT’s Reality TV Essay Stumps Some
SAT’s Reality TV Essay Stumps Some - NY Times
The recent SAT Test had an essay question on Reality TV. Some test takers were not very happy, since they don't watch TV. Or at least not reality TV.
I am so glad my daughter is done with the SAT's including the Chinese SAT II, Now we are just waiting for college admission acceptance/rejection letters. Labels: SAT
SAT Walk in Registration Advice
My daughter did a walk in for her last SAT test. The previous scores were OK, but she thought she could do better. Some tips with my experience with College Board on this. 1. Pay and sign up for the next SAT Test online that is possible. Even if this is the test after the one you are going to do a walk in. Then print out the registration ticket and bring that with you to the walk in. Now you are in the system as paid and it makes tracking so much easier! 2. Find out which test centers are more likely to accept walk ins. If you are getting tutoring, your tutoring center should know. Some more resources on the SATThe same advice is useful for the Chinese SAT IILabels: SAT
Tips for the Admissions Test ... to Kindergarten
New Chinatown & Stress
In some families, a 1759 on the SAT would be good. Not in our area... My daughter has a class mate who got 2400 in the 7th grade. As one person said, in Asia Town the standards are a bit higher for a good score. And of course this does put a bit of pressure on the students around here and explains all the SAT tutoring centers here. And of course to do really well on the Chinese SAT II. What is an acceptable score on the Chinese SAT II here is much higher, and since the scores are based on a curve, and there is a very steep curve on the Chinese SAT II due to all of the native speakers taking it, it's challenging. Labels: Chinese SAT II, SAT
SAT Coaching barely worth it?
SAT Coaching Found to Boost Scores -- Barely - Wall Street Journal. My daughter is going to one of those SAT tutorings this summer and it ain't cheap. I don't like the price, but I view it as worth it. Some tutoring is worth it, and others are not. It all depends on the test center. I did teach an SAT course and I appreciate the worth of good study materials. There is also some psychology behind the test questions which can help in figuring out the right question. My daughter took a sample test and did pretty good, but I have high expectations on what a summer of heavy duty tutoring will do to her scores. I also had a nice chat with the owner of the test center an she is currently getting math tutoring there. I have been impressed with how much her Math has improved (Math Analysis) which seems to be half Calculus and whatever you take before that. We tried another Math tutoring place last year and it just did not work out (no improvement and my daughter worked unbelievably hard at it with my wife). Another tip for Math Classes - get the right teacher, having the right teacher in the regular Math Class makes a huge difference. And there are sites out there that rate High School Teachers, I found a bunch at my daughter's school to my surprise. Labels: SAT
Sat observation - new Chinatown
I was talking to an ethnic Chinese parent who had their daughter go to a Cram School for SAT during the summer, and their daughter got 780 on the English and Math each. Impressive. There are a lot of those type SAT prep centers in the Rowland Heights area. Labels: chinatown, SAT
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