Rant time.

"Panther Brown Tdi Volvo Shooting Brake Manual Miata RWD Wagon Stole HondaBro's Accord." (ningaboss)
10/14/2015 at 17:19 • Filed to: None

Screw Standardized testing. That’s it. John Oliver is a lot more funny than me sooo...

DISCUSSION (19)

Future next gen S2000 owner > Panther Brown Tdi Volvo Shooting Brake Manual Miata RWD Wagon Stole HondaBro's Accord.
10/14/2015 at 17:44

When I took standardized test they weren’t reflected in your grade for the class. So why does anyone freak out over them when they don’t matter?

Blondude > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/14/2015 at 18:03

My SATs didn’t count for shit so I would just BS answers if I didn’t know them immediately.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Blondude
10/14/2015 at 18:07

I made patterns in the bubbles.

GhostZ > Panther Brown Tdi Volvo Shooting Brake Manual Miata RWD Wagon Stole HondaBro's Accord.
10/14/2015 at 18:20

Most state schools get their funding based on standardized test scores.

ACT and SAT (aka, the private College Board company) basically works as a funding mechanism for colleges that want to filter out students. It’s not that high SAT/ACT scores mean you’re intelligent, it’s that you have to buy them, either through multiple takes or through tutoring programs, all of which cost money. Test-taking skills reduce the cost of a high score, but it is still purchased.

Colleges rely on that to gauge the level of investment and commitment a student has to higher learning. Harvard knows that everyone with a 36 SAT is either good enough to do well in class, or wealthy enough to have the support network they need to do well regardless of their intelligence. That makes the students solid investments.

Same goes for financial aid/scholarships (which is often contingent on SAT/ACT scores) for other colleges, which are looking for students that can “stretch a dollar”. A student who gets a 36 ACT and is applying for financial aid managed to be capable enough to

Admissions is expensive and colleges are businesses. That’s why a perfect SAT score doesn’t guarantee you admission into any college, but it certainly helps, and it’s never an indication on actual intelligence.

The reason this is so prevalent in the US compared to the rest of the world is because most of our institutions (and the very nature of the “Not for profit” distinction) are primarily privately funded and managed at the corporate level, with only government subsidies for state and federal schools. It makes sense for them to use this type of evaluation.

Colleges know this, colleges are not misinformed about what type of testing works to measure competency, it’s the young students who are misinformed about the purpose of SAT/ACT scores in a real economy. It’s a lot easier for a naive student to swallow the pill that tests are designed to gauge how smart you are, rather than how investable you are.

There is an adverse selection issue where the people who pay for the tests are often the ones who benefit least from their existence, which is where a lot of the economic fault lies. The argument is that it’s cheaper to do standardized testing and have people pay for each test than for every college to have their own tests and comprehensive analysis of each student, which would just be reflected back in the cost of tuition. You’d be making already-accepted students pay for the process that denies students who aren’t paying for it. Or you put the cost of evaluation and analysis on the application fee, which would cause fewer applicants overall. Most colleges would rather stick with the College Board than do something like that.

It’s not ideal, but there is reasoning behind why the system exists the way it does.

Alex B > Panther Brown Tdi Volvo Shooting Brake Manual Miata RWD Wagon Stole HondaBro's Accord.
10/14/2015 at 20:11

I just took the PSAT today. Wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Panther Brown Tdi Volvo Shooting Brake Manual Miata RWD Wagon Stole HondaBro's Accord. > Alex B
10/14/2015 at 20:41

me too still sucks especially when it talks about buying 42 dollars worth of cookies and water. lol

DerW220 > GhostZ
10/14/2015 at 20:53

I didn’t pay jack SHIT back when I took it and I got a top 1% score for BOTH. I didn’t need tutoring, buy study materials, or anything! Haha.

GhostZ > DerW220
10/14/2015 at 21:30

There’s still a test-taking fee for a lot of students, and most high schools where I grew up didn’t have you take the test. You had to go off on your own and register and then go to the local community college for it.

That being said, there’s a reason why no one cares about your SAT or ACT scores after the first few weeks in top tier / Ivy League schools.

DerW220 > GhostZ
10/14/2015 at 22:02

There’s also a reason why Ivy League schools don’t accept AP courses.

shop-teacher > Panther Brown Tdi Volvo Shooting Brake Manual Miata RWD Wagon Stole HondaBro's Accord.
10/14/2015 at 23:31

If we spent the billions we’ve spent on bullshit tests, on actually making schools and teachers better, we could make a huge impact.

Also, regarding those international tests, we are the only country that tests everybody, including our special education students. The rest of the world selectively chooses who takes the test.

Alex B > Panther Brown Tdi Volvo Shooting Brake Manual Miata RWD Wagon Stole HondaBro's Accord.
10/15/2015 at 06:18

I had that same question!! Did you read the story about the poems?

Panther Brown Tdi Volvo Shooting Brake Manual Miata RWD Wagon Stole HondaBro's Accord. > Alex B
10/15/2015 at 09:43

that one is just crazy lol starting a revolution with just poems.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Alex B
10/15/2015 at 10:31

I didn’t think it was too bad either. Except that filling out the information took nearly an hour.

Also, if you have an Instagram, #PSAT is trending. A bunch of people are making some pretty good jokes about the test.

Alex B > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/15/2015 at 16:58

Yes. And the demographic section like wtf. “White including Middle Eastern countries” it's like get a map we are not related to them at all. I had to hesitate and think about how stupid it was to have that like that. Thad was a pain just ugh. Yeah on Twitter too some good jokes are being made.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Alex B
10/15/2015 at 17:33

Did you put yes or no for receiving financial aid notifications and stuff like that? I was told not to and I didn't even fill in my email.

Alex B > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/15/2015 at 20:24

No, mo financial aid for me. I did the email thing though. I need to know my scores ASAP

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Alex B
10/16/2015 at 07:13

I'd guess they mail them.

Alex B > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/17/2015 at 15:45

Nope! My proctor said they email them too.

TheOnelectronic > GhostZ
10/25/2015 at 18:54

I think someone with a 36 on their SAT’s has some issues.

Possibly the same issues that lead to me not paying attention to timestamps.