It was with little surprise that I read an article detailing the minute improvements in ACT scores among 2011 high school graduates from 2007. The data reported in the article explains why the majority of my advisees need remedial courses to prepare them for college level course work. Even more alarming to me was the increasing gap between the highest reported composite scores of the white and Asian test takers and the lowest composite scores of the Latin, African American, and Native American test takers. Although, it is worth noting that the 2011 ACT test takers included the greatest number of Latin and African American up to twenty-six percent in 2011 from nineteen percent in 2007. Overall, the overwhelming take away for me was that if the ACT scores are an accurate measurement of academic ability then it should come as no surprise that the need for remediation courses will continue to grow at community colleges. Furthermore, according to ACT results, the divide between racial groups in academic achievement is growing.
Among the data reported in the article was that only one in four ACT test takers in 2011, met the minimum benchmarks allegedly thought to demonstrate college readiness in English, math, reading, and science. I use the word alleged here because there seems to be a growing constituent of scholars who believe that the use of a standardized test such as the ACT is less than ideal in predicting a student’s ability to be successful in college level course work especially for minority, first-generation, low-income, and female students as reported by Fairtest.org. In fact, thirty-five out of the one hundred top rated national liberal arts colleges have joined the eight hundred and sixty undergraduate institutions to implement test-optional admission policies in an effort to attract a richer and more diverse student population. Rather than select and admit students based on standardized testing such as ACT scores, test optional institutions consider high school performance to be a stronger indicator of a student’s potential for success in college. I found this approach to be refreshing. It has been my impression that the standard mission statement of higher education institutions includes statements of diversity but it seems rare that policies and action truly reflect the expressed sentiments of desired diverse student bodies. Any action that can further promote and expand the richness and depth of a campus community is a step in the right direction for higher education.
Janet, thank you for your post. You article is very timely. At my institution, I was just asked to sit on a committee that will look at ways to overhaul developmental/remedial education at our community college. While you and others can learn more about this in my blog this week, I think that it is imperative for institutions (specifically community colleges in Colorado) to start looking at ways to improve remedial/development education.
ReplyDeleteWhile my institution will use ACT and SAT scores to exempt students from remedial education, we use the Accuplacer to assess students who do not already have these test scores. At the community college, it is very likely that a student will show up to apply for college and test the same day. What do we expect their outcome will be? If I was asked to take the accuplacer without any time to prepare, I probably would not pass some of the math sections either. Students are given very little guidance on how to prepare for standardized tests and they do not understand the long-term repercussions of doing poorly on the exam. With financial aid cuts on the horizon, it is imperative that institutions start thinking of ways to improve standardized tests and their implications for developmental/remedial education.
Thanks for the post, Janet. I've always struggled with standardized testing, yet I know it's difficult to set a benchmark of achievement that measures students equally and fairly on the same set of criteria.
ReplyDeleteI personally have always performed, what I believe to be, under my optimal ability on tests such as the ACT, GRE, etc. What I have found to be most compromising is the timing element of these tests. Why are we associating a "set" time with academic ability? Set by whom? Are we asking professionals in all/any fields to complete specific tasks within a pressured time frame? Unless we're talking the bomb squad, I see this as highly unnecessary.
Additionally, with the mathematic components of these tests, why are we requiring students to complete these without the assistance of calculators or given formulas? How often are real-life prospering individuals required to perform all of these functions from memory?
I agree with the article, there are many more efficient ways of testing academic ability. I would love to see more emphasis on qualitative pieces of applications--letters of reference, essays, and detailed descriptions of community service events.
Kylie R.
My take on this topic comes from another perspective. I have always been wary of using standardized test scores such as the SAT or ACT for things like awarding scholarships because the families who can afford to send their children to Kaplan or another test-preparation program can, in effect, buy improved scores.
ReplyDeleteSince I have never worked in admissions, I have no basis for determining a better way to evaluate student portfolios when it comes to making admissions decisions. In all honesty, I have no suggestions for improving the system. However, I applaud organizations that look beyond the scores earned on a test.
Thanks Janet! Like Kylie, I have struggled with standardized tests. The time element as well as the manner in which the questions are worded makes me wonder if the developers have motives for students to fail.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think you can learn a lot more about a student from essays and meetings where students have the opportunity to talk about the value of education in their lives and their plan for overcoming adversity. Of course the argument is that it takes too much time and effort to read hundreds of essays and meet with students.
I appreciate institutions who are willing and committed to implementing the test optional admission policy. Hopefully this will open doors for students like me, a minority student who historically struggles to perform well on standardized tests.
Interesting post and comments. While I am not totally on the standardized test bandwagon, I do see both sides to the story.
ReplyDeleteThere has been research done that suggests that standardized tests are not racially neutral. One example I heard in a class one time referred to a question where a curb was mentioned. The point was that a Native American student who grew up on the reservation may have no reference to a curb, making it impossible for them to understand the question. I also agree with what was mentioned above that in the "real world," how often are we asked to work on a project or solve a problem where our notes/directions/formulas are not readily available to us. I also don't think that time limits on standardized tests are all that necessary either. Of course, there has to be SOME sort of time restraint so students aren't testing for days but like was previously said, why the set chunk of time that is allowed by current standards?
So on the other side I have to ask, if we take away ACT/SAT and Accuplacer exams, what is the solution to placement for students in their first year? What if we put a student in College Algebra and they are not ready for it? That has financial, time and stress/anxiety implications for the student. How does an interview determine if a student who wants to be an engineering major can handle the necessary math requirements? At bigger public institutions that enroll thousands of incoming freshmen each year, how does an admissions office find the resources to read thousands and thousands of essays and then interview a fraction of those thousands of students?
I don't mean to be Debbie Downer but I have to ask what solutions could be posed for some of these obstacles?