The continuing use and misuse of SAT scores.

Abstract

The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the most widely publicized test taken by Americans, strongly influences public opinion about the quality of American schools. Unfortunately, the SAT scores not only have no statistical validity for tracking trends in the achievement of American students but actually show a perverse relationship to the trends in achievement as tracked by statistically valid scores. Thus the scores are quite misleading indicators of the quality of schools. The College Entrance Examination Board, a nonprofit institution established to foster excellence in education, clearly understands the statistical limitations of the SAT scores yet actively seeks annual publicity around the release of national, state, and school district SAT scores. This article questions whether the decision by the College Board to continue publishing aggregate SAT scores is in the public interest.The Scholastic Aptitude Test (now called the Scholastic Assessment Test; SAT) occupies a unique place in our national consciousness. It is probably the most widely taken "high-stakes" test in the nation. It has been taken over the past 40 years by most students interested in applying for college admission-over one third of high school graduates. The score received has partially determined whether college admission is granted and which college one attends. Like many other high-stakes tests, the SAT has attracted criticism from many quarters. These criticisms focus on whether the test is equitable to all those taking it, whether it can validly predict success in college, and whether its use improves the college admission process (Grouse & Trusheim, 1983;Jacobs, 1995). All of these concerns focus on the appropriate interpretation and use of individual-level scores in the college admission process. Similar to other tests that are influential in critical decisions, remedies for issues concerned with test validity or perceived inequity are sought through the courts.There is a unique issue in public policy associated with the publication and use of aggregate SAT test scores. The publication of aggregate score averages for schools, school districts, states, and the nation need not be done to carry out the primary purpose of the test: the sorting of individuals in the college admission process. However, annual SAT average scores have been routinely published at all levels since the 1960s. These scores receive widespread media coverage at every level because they provide easy and, in many cases, the only available comparative score data among local schools and school districts and among states. Because SAT scores are given at the end of K-12 education, they are often seen as providing indicators of the quality of the K-12 education system.

Individual differences in working memory, nonverbal IQ, and mathematics achievement and brain mechanisms associated with symbolic and nonsymbolic number processing

“…However, only one measure of math achievement was collected here, on which participants generally scored quite well (unsurprisingly, as the sample mostly comprised Ivy League college and graduate students). Additionally, the SAT has been questioned as to its validity in assessing mathematics achievement (Grissmer, 2000). Data as to the recency of the collected scores was not here collected, meaning Positive correlation with working memory and symbolic number processing brain function is shown in red.…”

Rising mean IQ: Cognitive demand of mathematics education for young children, population exposure to formal schooling, and the neurobiology of the prefrontal cortex

“…Specifically, mathematics reasoning ability is one of the few aspects of intelligence to show almost no historical change over the past 50 years. Gains on the Wechsler arithmetic subtest are small to none while changes in math achievement as tracked in a number of national studies reveal increases over time that are moderate, although there is evidence that the size of the increase in US mathematics achievement has been underestimated in some prior research (Grissmer, 2000;Grissmer, Williamson, Kirby, & Berends, 1998).…”

The Buck Stops with the Education Mayor: Mayoral Control and Local Test Scores in U.S. Urban Mayoral Elections

“…Families have long considered a school's reputation in their housing choices, but test scores have become more influential in recent years than other measures of school quality, such as demographic characteristics of the student population (Clapp, Nanda, and Ross ). Although scholars debate the reliability and validity of test scores as measures of school quality (Grissmer ; Kane and Staiger ), these scores make a significant difference not only for parents “but also for members of the general public in terms of their asset values” (Figlio and Loeb , 388). Given the importance of test scores in affecting these behaviors and the fact that voters reward and punish mayors for the performance in other policy areas, we test whether rising or declining test scores affect support for incumbent mayors.…”