College Board to make test to assess 8th graders

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Beginning in 2010 the college testing frenzy will begin at an even earlier age:</p>

<p>College</a> Board to debut an 8th-grade PSAT exam - Los Angeles Times</p>

<p>Excerpt:</p>

<p>"The new test would be tailored to eighth-graders. And it would put students on notice to start lining up the rigorous courses required by selective colleges, Camara said.</p>

<p>"By the time they're taking the PSAT, it's much too late to determine whether they should be taking algebra in the eighth grade, biology, and other important gatekeeper classes needed for college," he said. "This test will help schools identify students who have some talent and could likely succeed if they take honors or AP courses, but have not been recognized."</p>

<p>Some Southern California educators said they welcome the opportunity to get students, particularly African Americans and Latinos who are underrepresented in higher education, into the college game early.</p>

<p>Los Angeles Unified School District Senior Deputy Supt. Ramon C. Cortines said he has proposed that the district offer all eighth-graders the chance to take the PSAT beginning next year, as many top private schools do. "Polytechnic, Westridge, Harvard-Westlake all do," Cortines said. "Just because you go to a public school you should still have the same opportunities."</p>

<p>Honey Koletty, a college counselor at Carson High School, agreed: "If you want your kid to go to a highly selective institution, you really do have to know in the eighth grade."</p>

<p>But critics questioned whether the College Board, whose SAT test is coming under increasing scrutiny from universities, is pushing the admissions frenzy into middle school simply to boost its revenue. The exam will compete with testing rival ACT's Explore, an eighth-grade assessment test used in Long Beach Unified School District and schools across Southern California, an ACT spokesman said."</p>

2

<p>Well…the CB has to do something new to generate revenue. I’m glad my kids are in college and I don’t need to deal with the CB anymore.</p>

3

<p>Didn’t read the full article. But, from what’s in post #1, I can say I’m not in favor of this. </p>

<p>Looks like a revenue strategy for CB. Plus, 8th graders have enough testing already. Leave 'em alone.</p>

4

<p>The ACT already makes the Explore Test, so maybe they’re trying to compete.</p>

5

<p>What, they’re not making enough money; they need to generate some more?</p>

6

<p>Students take some sort of standardized test every year. Aren’t those results enough to tell them (and their parents & teachers) what their strengths & weaknesses are?</p>

7

<p>Wake me when they start giving the SAT to elementary school.</p>

8

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<p>Gotta keep stoking that money machine, ya know. Non-profit my a**…:Rolleyes:</p>

9

<p>“Wake me when they start giving the SAT to elementary school.”</p>

<p>Too late fireflyscout, it’s already offered to (selected) sixth graders as part of the Johns Hopkins talent search.</p>

<p>I see good and bad in this plan. On one hand, a relatively high score on the test may indeed get pre-HS kids thinking about aiming higher. Lots of high schools don’t give the PSAT until mid-Fall of the junior year, which is W-A-Y too late to adjust the HS coursework. On the other hand, kids mature at different rates, and I can see the possibility of a bright but slow-maturing kid doing really poorly on a “too early” test. JMHO.</p>

10

<p>The article mentions how by 8th grade it might be too late to make the right scheduling choices, so that there should really be a test in sixth grade. </p>

<p>Let’s just cut to the chase: we need upgraded Apgar testing on newborns!</p>

11

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</p>

<p>LOL!</p>

<p>:)</p>

12

<p>I think it is wonderful news. </p>

<p>Considering the SAT tests material taught in 8 or 9th grade, this test should cover the first two years of middle school. </p>

<p>Perhaps we might begin to understand the depth of our education problems, when the resuls show that students do NOT improve much from middle through high schools, thus confirming the old quip “the longer kids stay in a US public school, the dumber they get!” </p>

<p>Incidentally, rumors are already floating:</p>

<ol>
<li>a basket of young Finnish and Belgian 4th graders just aced the the new
MMSAT with time to spare.</li>
<li>A cheat package for the MMSAT is downloadable from several asian web sites and … sunday schools.</li>
</ol>

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<p>“Let’s just cut to the chase: we need upgraded Apgar testing on newborns!”</p>

<p>—too funny!</p>

14

<p>But will they start receiving college mail?</p>

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<p>“But will they start receiving college mail?”</p>

<p>Not until their Social Security Numbers are on file. Oh wait, that happens in the hospital now doesn’t it?</p>

16

<p>disgusting! absolutely disgusting. When will it stop? how much more do our kids need to be pushed to be told they are good enough? When are they going to be perfect just the way they are? College admissions has gotten out of control. I believe it’s all about the dollar and what people perceive as social status. very sad</p>

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<p>My guess is that College Board is trying to compete with ACT. ACT offers the Explore at 8th grade, the PLAN at 10th and then the ACT. A lot of schools in the midwest give both the Explore and the PLAN for all students to help students and parents plan for the future. It is not necessarily aimed at the college bound crowd, but at helping students assess their strengths and weaknesses while there is time to correct them. </p>

<p>The Explore and PLAN also include a career assessment that helps students to begin to match their abilities to their interests. The goal is to have students thinking about what direction they want to head after high school before they begin high school so that they can plan accordingly. As long as SAT does not use this as a marketing tool and does not release scores to colleges (they don’t release PSAT scores to schools) I think that this can be a useful tool for students and parents. </p>

<p>ACT does not release any info to colleges from PLAN or Explore. I don’t know if SAT will be willing to pass up the financial opportunity to sell the info, however.</p>