Impact of School on Improvement in Standardized Testing Scores

Prep School Admissions Prep School Parents
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<p>Schools use standardized testing to evaluate our kids. Should we not evaluate schools using the same measures. For example, Exeter has an average SSAT score of 94% for incoming kids and an average SAT score of 2100 for graduates. Source: boarding school review. <a href="http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/6"&gt;http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/6&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Concord Academy has an average SSAT score of 82% and an average SAT score of 2089 for graduates. Same source. <a href="http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/53"&gt;http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/53&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>If we are using test scores as a measure of education, then I would say that Concord Academy achieves a similar result in this specific area and has less natural ability to work with in their students. One might argue that test scores are meaningless and a school should not be judged by them, but then why are schools using them to judge students at a 9th grade level? How many of the Exeter kids would have scored just as well or better at their LPS? Probably more than Concord kids given the data.</p>

<p>I would be interested in knowing what other schools demonstrate a high degree of improvement in scores (from lower SSAT scores to higher SAT scores) using other sources. Thomas Jefferson looks like the greatest degree in improvement. What are the other measures of a schools educational outcomes (aside from "HPY Placement") that parents can assess before committing to it.</p>

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<p>By the way, it seems very unusual that the average SAT score at Exeter is reported as a round number (2100). Do you think that they rounded down the number from 2149? Or is there a potential for gaming reported outcomes that are impossible to track like test scores. See my prior thread questioning the reliability of reported data:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1693793-reliability-of-bs-admissions-data-p1.html”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1693793-reliability-of-bs-admissions-data-p1.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>You might find this thread interesting if you’re looking for “Academic Sleepers” ( HT to @GMTplus7). Post #38.</p>

<p><a href=“Question on "second tier" schools - Prep School Admissions - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1628623-question-on-second-tier-schools-p1.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;