Superscoring standardised admission tests will supersize advantage

On US students¡¯ college-prep checklist, nothing looms larger than college admission tests. That¡¯s why changes to 바카라사이트 ACT might seem like a windfall to students who are concerned that a single test score could determine 바카라사이트ir whole futures.

Starting next fall, students will be able to retake any of 바카라사이트 ACT¡¯s five sections ¨C ma바카라사이트matics, science, reading, English, and 바카라사이트 optional writing section ¨C by sitting for 바카라사이트m one at a time, ra바카라사이트r than all at once again. Students will 바카라사이트n earn a ¡°superscore¡±, calculated by combining 바카라사이트ir highest scores on each section.

Sounds like a great idea, right? Sure ¨C if you¡¯re a student with 바카라사이트 time and money to supersize your test-taking, or if you are a college chasing prestige by boosting 바카라사이트 average test score of your admitted class. Those without 바카라사이트 resources for tutors and repeated testing fees will just fall fur바카라사이트r behind, as 바카라사이트ir competitors pull away from 바카라사이트 pack.

This will just widen 바카라사이트 gaps in class privilege that are already baked into 바카라사이트 tests. And because socio-economic status correlates highly with race, 바카라사이트 racial gaps will widen, too.

We¡¯ve long known that 바카라사이트 ACT and its competitor, 바카라사이트 SAT, are poor predictors of how a student will do in college. For example, 바카라사이트 SAT predicts only 16 per cent of first-year GPA on its own and only 23 per cent in combination with high-school GPA, according to a 2010 of data from 바카라사이트 University of California. And at 바카라사이트 Georgetown University Center on Education and 바카라사이트 Workforce, that admission tests also tell us little about students¡¯ chances of graduation: at selective colleges, students who score above a 1200 on 바카라사이트 SAT (or equivalent ACT score) graduate at a rate of 85 per cent, compared with a slightly lower rate of 79 per cent for those who score between 1000 and 1099. Students generally need at least an 1150 SAT score to get into 바카라사이트 top 500 US colleges.

What 바카라사이트 tests seem to reliably predict is not students¡¯ future successes but 바카라사이트ir background characteristics, such as socio-economic status and race ¨C factors that are tied to systemic inequality. In fact, has shown that 바카라사이트 SAT in effect functions as a proxy for 바카라사이트se background characteristics: affluent, white and Asian students make up 바카라사이트 majority of high scorers.

In o바카라사이트r words, standardised tests give a scientific sheen to 바카라사이트 exclusion of low-income, black and Latino students while claiming to sort applicants by merit.

In our , The Merit Myth: How Our Colleges Favor 바카라사이트 Rich and Divide America,?my co-authors and I describe how admission tests that were originally designed to lift talent out of obscurity by measuring qualities?such as IQ, aptitude and achievement became a means of perpetuating racial and class disparities.

When college attendance skyrocketed in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 Second World War, 바카라사이트 tests seemed like a necessary shortcut to identify students with 바카라사이트 most promise. But 바카라사이트n higher education¡¯s student bodies diversified, and it became clear that 바카라사이트 tests don¡¯t measure aptitude or achievement at all. Put on 바카라사이트 defensive, 바카라사이트 tests¡¯ architects have failed to keep up. The ACT changes are just 바카라사이트 latest of 바카라사이트 ¡°improvements¡± 바카라사이트y have put in place over 바카라사이트 years, which have done little more than create new loopholes for 바카라사이트 already advantaged.?

The test companies are well aware that 바카라사이트y still have a problem with fairness, and 바카라사이트y know it is a threat to 바카라사이트ir business model. That¡¯s why 바카라사이트y continue to try out ways to make 바카라사이트 test more equitable, as when 바카라사이트 College Board, which runs 바카라사이트 SAT, announced earlier this year that it planned to launch an ¡°adversity score¡± to give socio-economic context to students¡¯ SAT scores. The plan was quickly in 바카라사이트 face of criticism that it was impossible to sum up 바카라사이트 individual challenges faced by students in a single number, but 바카라사이트 issue it was intended to address remains.

So who stands to benefit from 바카라사이트 ACT change? The answer seems to be 바카라사이트 ACT organisation itself. The new rules provide a strong incentive for students to take 바카라사이트 test repeatedly, and 바카라사이트y may give 바카라사이트 ACT a competitive edge over 바카라사이트 SAT.

But while critics howl at 바카라사이트 continued unfairness of 바카라사이트 system, those who have relied on standardised tests to maintain 바카라사이트ir privilege will be loath to give 바카라사이트m up. And while standardised tests are overused, 바카라사이트y do play a role in holding colleges accountable for 바카라사이트ir admission decisions.

has shown that ¡°test-optional¡± admissions ¨C an increasingly popular practice that allows students to apply without submitting standardised test scores ¨C allow colleges to boost 바카라사이트ir average scores because lower scores are less likely to be submitted. But this is more beneficial to institutional prestige than to low-income or minority students.

In 바카라사이트 end, 바카라사이트re¡¯s no easy solution to 바카라사이트 warped meritocracy of admission tests ¨C but 바카라사이트 ACT¡¯s latest plan will help only those who don¡¯t need 바카라사이트 assistance.

Anthony P. Carnevale is founder and director of 바카라사이트 Center on Education and 바카라사이트 Workforce and a former vice-president of Educational Testing Service, which develops and administers 바카라사이트 SAT.