New SAT tests have "Adversity Scoring". Is this doing kids a disservice?

tempo_n_groove

This should be a huge topic of debate.

The SAT's will now have something called an "adversity score" for kids with less than ideal ways of life.

So basically it's an Affirmative Action score for under privileged children?

Thoughts?

Teachers please way in.
http://time.com/5590396/sat-adversity-score/

tempo_n_groove

I'll weigh in later.  Curious to hear from some teachers.

bbiggs

Part of the intent is to “level the playing field for low income students,” the article states.  Doesn’t financial aid take care of that?  

jeffbr

It's stupid. It is called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, later Scholastic Assessment Test. It should be just that. An assessment of what you know and have learned. While other factors, such as environmental, economic, etc... clearly have a role in education quality, they shouldn't play a part in scoring that the student actually knows. In fact, some universities today have chimed in and said they already take all of this into consideration and have all of that data via other means such as financial aid applications, the admission application, etc..., so this is an unnecessary distraction for the SAT. It doesn't belong as part of the test.

mace1229

I used to think there wasn't really such a thing as a biased question or that income couldn't really impact your education. Then I became a teacher in South-Central LA. That definitely does exist, and probably a much larger issue than most think, especially in neighborhoods like South-Central. 
But to your question, does an adversity score help anyone? I don't think so. These tests are intended to be used as a basis for college readiness. If you put the SAT on a "curve" based on your background, you are just setting that person up for failure in college. Ask any college professor and they'll tell you every year their incoming freshmen get worse and worse. Unfortunately it doesn't matter what your background is, if you aren't prepared for college you can be setting yourself up for failure. Some of these standardized tests can actually be used to as placement, you will take remedial classes before taking a real college course.
If not in college, then when do we expect someone to hold their own? If we do it for college, then their first job in the real world is going to be that much tougher when they are suddenly forced to realize they have the same expectations as everyone else. I see it now, we have IEPs for far too many kids to help them through high school and it doesn't help prepare many them, its a crutch they learn to rely on. This may have the same effect. 

Meltdown99

Why is America still doing aptitude testing?

tempo_n_groove

Meltdown99 said:

Why is America still doing aptitude testing?

Read the article and comment.

I'm not interested in why because that isn't going away in my lifetime.

mcgruff10

Complete bs

tempo_n_groove

mcgruff10 said:

Complete bs

Elaborate please, my teaching friend!

Meltdown99

mcgruff10 said:

Complete bs

Agreed...

Meltdown99

tempo_n_groove said:

Meltdown99 said:

Why is America still doing aptitude testing?

Read the article and comment.

I'm not interested in why because that isn't going away in my lifetime.

Not with a defeatist attitude like that...

tempo_n_groove

Meltdown99 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Meltdown99 said:

Why is America still doing aptitude testing?

Read the article and comment.

I'm not interested in why because that isn't going away in my lifetime.

Not with a defeatist attitude like that...

First sentence please.
Read the article and comment.

mace1229

The article mentioned I think 15 different factors, but only listed about 5 of them. Anyone know if race or ethnicity will be one of them?

jeffbr

mace1229 said:

The article mentioned I think 15 different factors, but only listed about 5 of them. Anyone know if race or ethnicity will be one of them?

It took me a bit, but I tracked down the detailed data description of the Environmental Context Dashboard. It is on the College Board's site. Race is not a factor.
https://professionals.collegeboard.org/environmental-context-dashboard/detailed-data-description

Neighborhood measure comprised of income, family structure, housing, educational attainment, and likelihood of being a victim of a crime

High school measure comprised of income, family structure, housing, and educational attainment

Median family income Percentage of all households in poverty (poverty rate) Percentage of families with children in poverty Percentage of households with food stamps Percentage of families that are single-parent families with children and in poverty Percentage of families that are single-parent families with children Percentage of housing units that are rental Percentage of housing units that are vacant Rent as a percentage of income Percentage of adults with less than a 4-year college degree Percentage of adults with less than a high school diploma Percentage of adults with agriculture jobs Percentage of adults with nonprofessional jobs Percentage unemployed College-going behavior Probability of being a victim of a crime

Median family income Percentage of all households in poverty (poverty rate) Percentage of families with children in poverty Percentage of households with food stamps Percentage of families that are single-parent families with children and in poverty Percentage of families that are single-parent families with children Percentage of housing units that are rental Percentage of housing units that are vacant Rent as a percentage of income Percentage of adults with less than a 4-year college degree Percentage of adults with less than a high school diploma Percentage of adults with agriculture jobs Percentage of adults with nonprofessional jobs Percentage unemployed College-going behavior

tempo_n_groove

jeffbr said:

mace1229 said:

The article mentioned I think 15 different factors, but only listed about 5 of them. Anyone know if race or ethnicity will be one of them?

It took me a bit, but I tracked down the detailed data description of the Environmental Context Dashboard. It is on the College Board's site. Race is not a factor.
https://professionals.collegeboard.org/environmental-context-dashboard/detailed-data-description

Neighborhood measure comprised of income, family structure, housing, educational attainment, and likelihood of being a victim of a crime

High school measure comprised of income, family structure, housing, and educational attainment

Median family income Percentage of all households in poverty (poverty rate) Percentage of families with children in poverty Percentage of households with food stamps Percentage of families that are single-parent families with children and in poverty Percentage of families that are single-parent families with children Percentage of housing units that are rental Percentage of housing units that are vacant Rent as a percentage of income Percentage of adults with less than a 4-year college degree Percentage of adults with less than a high school diploma Percentage of adults with agriculture jobs Percentage of adults with nonprofessional jobs Percentage unemployed College-going behavior Probability of being a victim of a crime

Median family income Percentage of all households in poverty (poverty rate) Percentage of families with children in poverty Percentage of households with food stamps Percentage of families that are single-parent families with children and in poverty Percentage of families that are single-parent families with children Percentage of housing units that are rental Percentage of housing units that are vacant Rent as a percentage of income Percentage of adults with less than a 4-year college degree Percentage of adults with less than a high school diploma Percentage of adults with agriculture jobs Percentage of adults with nonprofessional jobs Percentage unemployed College-going behavior

Does it mention anywhere what boxes get ticked at what percentage?

Meaning do "college going behavior" get more points than "median family income" and so on?

drakeheuer14

Score everything the same for everyone. This is absurd. 

jeffbr

tempo_n_groove said:

jeffbr said:

mace1229 said:

The article mentioned I think 15 different factors, but only listed about 5 of them. Anyone know if race or ethnicity will be one of them?

It took me a bit, but I tracked down the detailed data description of the Environmental Context Dashboard. It is on the College Board's site. Race is not a factor.
https://professionals.collegeboard.org/environmental-context-dashboard/detailed-data-description

Neighborhood measure comprised of income, family structure, housing, educational attainment, and likelihood of being a victim of a crime

High school measure comprised of income, family structure, housing, and educational attainment

Median family income Percentage of all households in poverty (poverty rate) Percentage of families with children in poverty Percentage of households with food stamps Percentage of families that are single-parent families with children and in poverty Percentage of families that are single-parent families with children Percentage of housing units that are rental Percentage of housing units that are vacant Rent as a percentage of income Percentage of adults with less than a 4-year college degree Percentage of adults with less than a high school diploma Percentage of adults with agriculture jobs Percentage of adults with nonprofessional jobs Percentage unemployed College-going behavior Probability of being a victim of a crime

Median family income Percentage of all households in poverty (poverty rate) Percentage of families with children in poverty Percentage of households with food stamps Percentage of families that are single-parent families with children and in poverty Percentage of families that are single-parent families with children Percentage of housing units that are rental Percentage of housing units that are vacant Rent as a percentage of income Percentage of adults with less than a 4-year college degree Percentage of adults with less than a high school diploma Percentage of adults with agriculture jobs Percentage of adults with nonprofessional jobs Percentage unemployed College-going behavior

Does it mention anywhere what boxes get ticked at what percentage?

Meaning do "college going behavior" get more points than "median family income" and so on?

I couldn't find anything about how these are weighted. It said that the dashboard will provide a score of 1 to 100 with 1 being the least disadvantaged, and 100 being the most disadvantaged, and that the data was normalized state-wide and nationally, but didn't talk at all about whether any of these factors carried more significance or weight than others in coming up with the dashboard score. Without knowing the formula, it is hard to know if this is good social science, or voodoo.

bbiggs

I don’t understand how this is beneficial.  All students should have an opportunity at higher education if they have the grades.  That’s where financial aid comes in.  Those who could not otherwise afford it are given the same opportunity to go to school.  This “adversity scoring” makes zero sense to me.  

tempo_n_groove

bbiggs said:

I don’t understand how this is beneficial.  All students should have an opportunity at higher education if they have the grades.  That’s where financial aid comes in.  Those who could not otherwise afford it are given the same opportunity to go to school.  This “adversity scoring” makes zero sense to me.  

I understand it’s meant to help people that normally wouldn’t have a chance but if you’re applying for college, to me, you’ve got a great opportunity. 

mace1229

And does no one (no one who comes up with these ideas) realize that for ever person accepted into a college because of a curved SAT score, some middle class get is getting rejected?

bbiggs

mace1229 said:

And does no one (no one who comes up with these ideas) realize that for ever person accepted into a college because of a curved SAT score, some middle class get is getting rejected?

Or someone who may have had better grades and/or test scores is getting rejected.  Not good.