FAIRTEST Reports on Anti-High Stakes Testing Movement

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1. Bob Gilvey says:

   July 24, 2015 at 2:11 pm

   What are test optional colleges?

   The term “test optional” generally refers to colleges and universities that do not require students to submit ACT or SAT test scores to be admitted to the institution. However, there really isn’t a set definition of test option college as seen at the Fair Test website, an organization that tracks such testing requirements.

   Even the Fair Test definition is less than definitive. The organization defines “SAT/ACT Optional 4-Year Universities” as “Schools That Do Not Use SAT or ACT Scores for Admitting Substantial Numbers of Students Into Bachelor Degree Programs.” It’s not clear what constitutes “substantial.”

   Fair Test’s listing of over 800 test optional colleges includes the following seven footnotes:

   SAT/ACT used only for placement and/or academic advising
   SAT/ACT required only from out-of-state applicants
   SAT/ACT considered only when minimum GPA and/or class rank is not met
   SAT/ACT required for some programs
   Test Flexible: SAT/ACT not required if other college level exams specified by school, such as SAT Subject Test, Advanced Placement, or Int’l Baccalaureate, submitted
   Placement test or school-specific admissions exam score required if not submitting SAT/ACT
   Admission/Eligibility Index calculated with 3.5 GPA and combined SAT Critical Reading plus Math score of 400

   Obviously, just because the test isn’t used primarily to admit most students, many students will still be required to submit the test or take some other test instead.

   Furthermore, Fair Test’s list includes all institutions that offer a bachelor’s degree. This includes 53 schools that are online or include multiple sites such as the University of Phoenix. It also includes for-profit institutions as well as specialty ones such as The Art Institute and numerous schools with enrollments of less than 100.

   According to the IPEDS data in the DIY College Rankings College Search Spreadsheet, only 253 public or non-profit institutions with 500 or more full-time undergraduates list SAT/ACT testing as “Not Applicable” or “Neither Required nor Recommend.” Of these, 95 are some combination of Associates/Bachelor institutions, 31 are special focus or unaccredited, and 5 are tribal colleges. A total of 68 50-50 colleges list testing as “Neither Required nor Recommend.”

   It is also important to realize that test optional will not apply to NCAA D1 and D2 athletes. The tests may also not be optional when applying for merit aid. Many schools use a combination of GPA and test scores to award merit money.

   via:
   http://diycollegerankings.com/faqs/what-are-test-optional-colleges/

   Reply
   • Akademos says:

     July 24, 2015 at 10:34 pm

     To be fair, you are the director of SelectPrep which seems to emphasize 1-on-1 SAT prep.

     Reply
2. SomeDAM Poet says:

   July 25, 2015 at 1:55 pm

   “The End” (or at least the beginning thereof) — after the Jim Morrison song

   This is the end, Reformer friend
   This is the end, of test and VAM, the end
   Of our elaborate plans, the end
   Of everything that stands, the end
   No safety or surprise, the end
   They’ll never bite into our cowpies, again

   Can you picture what will be, so limitle$$ and free
   Desperately in need, of some billionaire’s hand
   In a desperate land

   Lost in a DOE wilderness of brain
   And all the policies are insane, all the policies are insane
   Waiting for the Clinton reign, yeah
   There’s danger on the edge of town
   Ride the King’s VAMway, baby
   Weird scenes inside the Gates mind
   Ride the VAMway west, baby
   Ride the snake, ride the snake
   To the lake, the Money lake, baby
   The snake is long, 3000 miles

   Ride the snake, he’s old, and his skin is cold
   The Test is the best, the Test is the best
   Get here, and we’ll do the rest
   The Magic Bus is callin’ us, the Magic Bus is callin’ us
   Driver, where you takin us?

   The VAMmer awoke before dawn, he put his stats on
   He took a farce from the cattle modelry
   And he walked on down the hall

   He went into the room where the teacher taught, and, then he
   Paid a visit to another, and then he
   He walked on down the hall, and
   And he came to a door, and he looked inside
   “Diane?”
   “Yes son”
   “I want to VAM you”

   C’mon baby, give a test for us
   C’mon baby, give a test for us
   C’mon baby, give a test for us

   And meet me at the back of the Magic Bus
   Doin’ a VAM, on a magic bus
   Doin’ a VAM, c’mon, yeah
   VAM, VAM, VAM, VAM, VAM

   This is the end, Reformer friend
   This is the end, of test and VAM, the end
   It hurts to set VAM free
   But they’ll never follow me
   The end of testing and DAM lies
   The end of kids we tried to spy
   This is the end

   Reply
   • Akademos says:

     July 25, 2015 at 4:37 pm

     That key line remains deeply disturbing in any form.
     And they kept jailing Lenny Bruce . . .

     Reply