The SAT I: Reasoning Test covers verbal and mathematical reasoning abilities and is said to be approximately 1/2 math. Many schools, which are out of state, require students to take the SAT. The SAT Verbal Section tests a student's ability to understand and analyze what he reads, recognize relationships between parts of a sentence, and see relationships between pairs of words. On the SAT I,

"Most test makers review items for obvious biases, such as offensive words. But this is inadequate, since many forms of bias are not superficial. Some test makers also use statistical bias and reduction techniques. However, these techniques cannot detect underlying bias in the test's form or content. As a result, biased cultural assumptions built into the test as a whole are not exposed or removed by test makers."

Like Cathy said, solution # 4 could be to find other ways of assessing students' work. Whether it is a checklist of accomplishments or old-fashioned observation, I believe students can be more accurately "tested" than taking a 3 to 4 hour test. Solution # 5 could be to use a team of judges to assess students' performance.

"Standardized, multiple choice tests were not originally designed to provide help to teachers. Classroom surveys show teachers do not find scores from standardized tests very helpful, so they rarely use them. Personally, I see that some students just are not good test takers, some are just better at hands on kinds of things or they better understand something using visuals. The tests do not provide information that can help a teacher understand what to do next in working with a student because they do not indicate how the student learns or thinks. Good evaluation would provide helpful information to teachers."

Solution # 3: We could also make the test scores optional. Why should we make the SAT & ACT optional? Test scores are biased and unreliable. Standardized college admissions tests are biased, imprecise and unreliable, and therefore should not be required for any college admissions process or scholarship award. If test scores are optional, students who feel that their strengths are reflected by their SAT or ACT scores can submit them, while those whose abilities are better demonstrated by grades and recommendations are assured that these will be taken into full account. Sometimes admissions officers use low test scores to automatically reject qualified students without even considering their schoolwork. That's not fair.

"A test is completely reliable if you would get exactly the same results the second time you administered it. All existing tests have measurement error. This means an individual's score may vary from day to day due to testing conditions or the test taker's mental or emotional state. As a result, many individuals' scores are frequently wrong. Test scores of young children and scores on sub sections of tests are much less reliable than test scores on adults or whole tests."

"Yes. Good teacher observation, documentation of student work, and performance-based assessment, all of which involve the direct evaluation of student effort on real learning tasks, provide useful material for teachers, parents, the community and the government."

Test scores are nearly useless in college admission. Research shows that the SAT and ACT do not help colleges and universities make significantly better admissions decisions. The University of Chicago Press book, The Case Against the SAT, found that the SAT is "statistically irrelevant" in college admissions. It also proves that the SAT undermines the goal of diversity by reducing the number of qualified minority and lower-income students who are admitted. The rapid growth of test scores optional programs shows that no type of college needs to require the SAT or ACT. The list now includes large state schools, and many nationally competitive smaller schools.

"No. Tests that measure as little and as poorly as multiple choice tests cannot provide genuine accountability. Pressure to teach to the test distorts and narrows education. Instead of being accountable to parents, community, teachers and students, schools become accountable to a completely unregulated testing industry."

"Multiple choice tests are a very poor yardstick of student performance. They do not measure the ability to write, to use math, to make m

Some common words found in the essay are:
Olympic Games, GPA ACT, SAT ACT, ACT ACT, Math Section, Legislation Encourage, English Test, Reasoning Test, College Board, Chicago Press, test scores, standardized tests, multiple choice, sat act, questions subscore, multiple choice tests, choice tests, test takers, questions act, scores optional, reasoning test, test scores optional, mathematical reasoning abilities, act reading test, sat act scores,
Approximate Word count = 2896
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)