To anyone who has experience with the arbitration process, what type of information did you offer for arbitration? My understanding is that the arbitration process does not review the merits of the case itself, but is basically a review of whether the ACT score review process was fair. Did you submit arguments related to this point? If so, what type of material? I believe that the score review panel includes 2 people; these people are employees of ACT. This could be biased to start with depending on the credentials of the panelists and also how they are trained in terms of the criteria they use and the weight of each. They allow you to submit all types of documentation, but is this just to appear fair? If someone had access to a previous ACT employee that could somehow provide how they are trained and directed, this could uncover a basic bias in the process. If there was no report of cheating on site at the testing center, that should be strong evidence against cheating to start. The earlier post about a student getting accused of cheating from another that wasn’t in the same room is crazy. How could any sane person think this is fair? The ACT seems to rely mostly on their statistical analysis. A previous post made some very good remarks about statistics and how they can be misleading. There were some interesting cases that were cited. For anyone having gone through the arbitration process, did you provide any documentation about statistics and how they can be flawed? Would the ACT provide any information about the panelists such as their years of experience conducting reviews, years with ACT, educational background (do they have formal education with statistics/analysis), etc. It just seems that the entire process is unfair to begin with since the people doing the review are paid employees of ACT.
It just seems that the entire process is unfair to begin with since the people doing the review are paid employees of ACT.
And therein lies the problem. Kind of a non starter.
Yes, but they are still getting away with this process. It seems that it’s a no-brainer that this is unfair and that’s why I’m wondering whether anyone has gone to arbitration to prove that the process is unfair because of this basic issue. It seems very obvious, so how can it continue?
In the earlier post it was noted that the person from Fair Test commented, “They are in effect the police investigator, the prosecutor, they are the judge, they are the jury, they are the appeals court and they are the executioner.” It seems that in all of the years with this practice going on, even one independent arbitrator would rule that the process is unfair because of exactly this point. Can a case be made for this in arbitration?
Not that anyone doubts this is a real problem, but I just ran into a woman I know, and this happened to her son. He was already in college when ACT accused him of cheating and it was a big mess. I now advise all of my students not to take ACT tests as a practice run, especially if they plan on taking the test more than once.
I can totally see that, Lindagaf and it’s definitely something to consider. However, most students will take the test more than once because no matter how well you do on a practice test, it is still just that and there is no adrenaline etc. pumping. From reading this entire thread, it seems to me better to take the test early and often so that your jump in scores isn’t enough to warrant a review. My son just took it as a freshman and increased his score by 5 points (C26 to a C31). We will see if that flags anything from 8th grade to freshman year increase. But with a C31, next year as a sophomore if he gets a 32 or 33 etc. it won’t be a big deal and should they question his test, he has tons of time to retake.
@navy09mom I would be surprised if they took exception to a score change between middle school and high school. I know CB erases middle school scores when a student ends 8th grade. Hope Im right and your student has no issues.
To each their own @Navy09mom. I would believe that most would disagree with you, as I have done in the other post. But it is your child and your path. THe ACT is just a test and one data point for colleges. It isnt meant as a test to try every year. I think a college would ask “why is that kid taking it every year?” instead of spending time on other things more worthwhile. Colleges are not looking for testing machines.
I can’t agree with that @Navy09mom . Fewer tests are always better. As a test prep tutor, I see kids so stressed out by having to prep for tests repeatedly. THAT is what causes undue stress, needless expense, extra time, and so on. I have met only a few kids who WANT to take any test more than once. I have met dozens of kids, however, who wish they were properly prepped the first time around so that they don’t have to take it again.
99% of students who retake a test are doing so because they could have been better prepared. The only exceptions, in my experience, are the rare students who already have a very high score, such as 34 on the ACT or 1530+ on the SAT, and are trying to challenge themselves by getting a 35 or 36 or close to 1600. Furthermore, many colleges don’t superscore the ACT, but do allow it for the SAT. Even so, you will be hard pressed to find a kid who would rather present superscores, rather than good scores the first and only time.
By all means, have your child test as often as he or you would like. But there are MANY official ACT and SAT tests available free online. Your child can do a mock test in a library or other quiet place for practice, when there isn’t real stress and real money riding on it. Some kids work find under pressure, but the worst kind of pressure is knowing you could have been better prepared, and then feeling worried that you won’t do better the 2nd or 3rd time you take the test.
@lindagaf glad to see you someone else agrees with me!
Has anyone else submitted information to newspapers as a tip? I just sent one to the NYT. Not that I have a horse in this race, but I feel terrible for the students and families going through this.
^I’d also suggest contacting journalists at Reuters, as they’ve had a series of investigative reports on ACT and SAT. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/section/cheat-sheet/ E.g. one could email those listed on this article https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/college-cheating-act/
I have been watching this thread and truly feel for those caught up in this situation. @Lindagaf you are extremely knowledgeable and have so much more experience than we do. However, sometimes even with all of the test prep something goes awry. Our child has prepped and did well on the composite. However, with all of the practices the one section in question the scores were always from 33 - 36 (several 36s). Actual results…high 20s. Brought down composite in a big way. Yes…they were ALL proctored actual tests. Sometimes it happens.
My question is this…in the horrible situation with ACT is it the Composite scores that are being flagged or the individual sections? So if they go from high 20s to what they have been getting on practices tests, is there a problem?
Again…I am very sorry for anyone in this situation.
@Lindagaf I agree with everything you said, although it appears the absolute worst kind of pressure is knowing that if your ACT score improves too much, you will be labeled as a cheater, with no chance to successfully defend yourself.
I’m not really sure why the hostility. You do you. I will do what has worked for my kids (at top schools too). And I have come to grow over the years to surely not care who might agree or disagree with me. I would agree that the tests a just one marker, but they are a gate and with the increase in tuition, scholarships are often tied to “magic” numbers. So I don’t think for a minute that a college counselor would think “Gee why is this kid taking the test so much?” And what exactly is often anyway? I think once a year in middle school/early high school is certainly not excessive LOL. Then, once your scores are in line with the rest of your package, don’t bother as well as when you stop increasing in your scores. But this thread isn’t about that. This thread is about the cheating accusations in the ACT. So I would say get it in early and therefore minimize the risk of senior year hell.
You must be in a very different area than me because I have yet to meet one student who is serous about their colleges to think they will only take it once. But could you please share your resource for your claim that 99% of students who retake it do so because they felt unprepared?
I’m not here to debate @Navy09mom . I have a lot of experience with test prep. I don’t think it’s good to do tests when a student isn’t prepared, for reasons already mentioned, simple as that.
And yes, @Sunset88 sometimes things go wrong, and I have plenty of students who take a test more than once because they didn’t do well on test day for whatever reason. I simply don’t advocate that kids take a standardized test as a dry run, or take a test thinking they can just take it again if they don’t do well, so it doesn’t matter if they are prepared. Its never fun to realize you might have a big hill to climb when the pressure is on. Anyway, I don’t want to derail this thread.
I am so sorry so many are dealing with the unfairness of the ACT. I had no idea this went on. I scrolled thru to see if anyone had an experience with a first time test being flagged or only if there was a significant jump on a subsequent test? Does the ACT consider the PreACT given by a high school sophomore year (not proctored by ACT) a first test?
@Lindagaf @Navy09mom I have to disagree, lindagaf. My kid started taking them in middle school as part of gifted programs and enjoyed watching her own progress from test to test. She never did test prep or prepared, quite the contrary, she took the SAT in Sept of senior year, after a studying and extracurricular marathon and almost no sleep, and scored 800 math and 760 ENWR. She took the ACT once, cold, with no prep, as a sophomore and scored a 34. She was scheduled to retake in May or June of junior year but bagged it after her strong SAT showing. No stress. Just fun and personal challenge for her. It is meant to measure how much one has learned and she liked to use her standardized tests to see growth. I believe that you have a lot of experience with test prep but I think it is disingenuous to throw out an unsubstantiated statistic when you are weighing in as a “professional”. Colleges see someone with multiple test scores understand some have greater resources or different knowledge or priorities than others. It may or may not actually impact admissions. It certainly did not for my daughter. Folks should follow the course that makes sense for them and just be prepared there may be shortfalls.
But back to the ACT making seeming unsubstantiated cheating accusations. Guilty until proven otherwise.
Luckily, my daughter took a practice ACT with no prep at a test prep center (actual test under testing conditions in regard to breaks, etc). She scored a 26. Then she did private tutoring over summer and scored a 32 on the official test administered by the ACT. I’m SO glad we didn’t have her do an actual ACT as a baseline.
My son’s school administered the PreACT that was just released last year (he took it as a sophomore). The school purchases all the supplies from ACT and decides when to administer it, and it could be any day between September 1 and June 1. ACT sends the scores back to the school for distribution. Just curious if ACT could consider this a first test and compare it to an ACT taken on a national test date/location and use it as a reason to flag a first time real ACT. Thanks.