The first major shift in the role of education came after the Revolutionary War. Soon after our government formed, the leaders of the country, such as Thomas Jefferson, realized the necessity of education for the people of the new state. Government by the people made education of the people vital. "The goal of schooling became the creation of uniformly loyal, patriotic Americans" (Colombo 55). During those early years education began to carry with it the hope and promise that a penniless boy could become and educated, influential man.

As the gears of the country developed during the Industrial Revolution another change in education occurred. During this period, education "tracks" were developed. These tracks offered different types of education to different groups of people. Students wer

"A Brief History of SAT." Frontline. April 20, 2000. .

Lemann, Nicholas. "Behind the SAT." Newsweek 20 April 2000. .

Today, the test is still called the SAT, but the letters no longer stand for anything. This fact illustrates the uncertainty that surrounds what exactly the test measures. The SAT has been shown to predict only partially how a student will perform during the first year of college. Of the things it takes to do well in school, the SAT is able to predict only 15-18% making it an unreliable gage of a students' performance ("What Does the SAT Really Measure?"). When researchers look at the correlation between SAT scores and broader measures of college success or to a student's performance beyond the freshman year, the case for the SAT becomes even weaker. Correlation all but disappears when researchers look at SAT scores and success beyond college and in the workplace. Standardized test scores fail to be predictive of anything beyond one's ability to take standardized tests (Sacks n.pag). For 88% of the applicants, an SAT score will predict their grades no more accurately then a pair of dice (Nairn 65).

Standardized testing moves us further away from the myth of education for all for several reasons. The tests lack validity regarding the prediction of collegiate performance, test scores tend to be highly correlated with socioeconomic levels, and the tests tend to be biased in regard to gender and cultural heritage. These shortcomings are well documented and often discussed in higher education circles, however the public seems to continue to be obsessed with test scores as the golden key to a prosperous future. "The test is widely believed to be the key to admission to a selective college, which in turn is widely believed to be the key to a life of prestige and prosperity. People can't help thinking of the score as a permanent measure of their innate worth" (Lemann n.pag).

In order for the myth of education to become reality, new methods of assessment must be developed and implemented. Assessment based on performance would bring us closer to an equitable solution, more importantly, providing equal education at all levels for all who seek it is the only way to insure the myth will be reality.

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Approximate Word count = 1934
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)