standardized tests are tools of inequality, not equality
freddiedeboer.substack.com
Consider this fairly recent NYT piece, titled "A Simple Way to Help Low-Income Students: Make Everyone Take SAT or ACT." The essay talks about research that shows that making these tests mandatory in high schools raises the participation rate (duh) and in so doing identifies high-achieving students who ordinarily would not have taken the test. See, typically those who are screened out of taking a college entrance exam through self-selection are those who are less college ready and perform less well. But this is far from universal, and there are many potential high-scoring testers who are screened out through fees, lack of parental guidance, or a lack of information about when and how to sign up. The research discussed showed that low-income but high performing students are less likely to take these tests than high-income, high-performing students, and that making the tests mandatory will thus lower the relative disadvantage of those students. Mandating the test is thus a tool for equality - it increases the opportunity for students who are typically systematically excluded from college.
standardized tests are tools of inequality, not equality
standardized tests are tools of inequality…
standardized tests are tools of inequality, not equality
Consider this fairly recent NYT piece, titled "A Simple Way to Help Low-Income Students: Make Everyone Take SAT or ACT." The essay talks about research that shows that making these tests mandatory in high schools raises the participation rate (duh) and in so doing identifies high-achieving students who ordinarily would not have taken the test. See, typically those who are screened out of taking a college entrance exam through self-selection are those who are less college ready and perform less well. But this is far from universal, and there are many potential high-scoring testers who are screened out through fees, lack of parental guidance, or a lack of information about when and how to sign up. The research discussed showed that low-income but high performing students are less likely to take these tests than high-income, high-performing students, and that making the tests mandatory will thus lower the relative disadvantage of those students. Mandating the test is thus a tool for equality - it increases the opportunity for students who are typically systematically excluded from college.