National Hispanic Recognition Program Cutoff

I just learned that the cut off for Oklahoma jumped SEVEN points for this year. From 184 to 191? Are you kidding me? That is ridiculous. My son has a 189 and apparently missed it for 2017. I do not believe that there should be a jump that significant in ONE YEAR and this must be associated with the new scoring. Could someone help me understand?

@NOTHAPPY if Oklahoma is in the Southwest region, it was actually 181 last year (Texas was 181 and is in the southwest region and is now 191). NHRP recognizes the top 5,000 Hispanic/Latino juniors. Recognized students are distributed over the regions and each region has a different qualifying score. The southwest region (which includes Texas, where we are) has always had the lowest cutoff scores. Top students seemed to score higher this year, and thus moved the averages up

So for no logically reason this group scored ten points higher when there has NEVER been a jump like that EVER? There has to be more to it than it.

In California, the cut-off is 193. That is also higher than last year. It doesn’t seem to make sense. The scores are lower 225 instead of 240. I guess more Hispanic students did well this year.

@NOTHAPPY - remember this was a brand new PSAT test. First time it has ever been given. The scores from the previous test cannot be compared to the scores from this new test so simply. A 10 point increase does not correlate to students performing significantly better. the ranges for this new test are completely different from the old test. All of the cutoffs will change. Check out the PSAT discussion thread for detailed analysis and discussion of projected cutoffs. You will also find much better explanations than the one I am providing. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-act-tests-test-preparation/1849640-national-merit-cutoff-predictions-class-of-2017.html#latest

All of the predications in that thread see the cutoffs lowering 2-3 points. NHRP rose 10. I guess I am just not getting it.

College Board has also released preliminary concordance tables that attempt to show what a score this year equates to in previous year ranges. In that PSAT discussion Board I referenced, they are all attempting to predict NMSF. In Texas, the cutoff last year was 220 out of 240. The top possible score this year is 228. Originally, before scores were released, folks assumed that the cutoff would decrease by 12 points to a 208, since the ceiling decreased by 12 points. However, after scores were released and analyzed, Texas is predicted to only decrease by 1 point, to a 219 out of 228. Commended, which in previous years has been around 201, is predicted at around 207 this year. The higher end scores have been compressed. I hope someone who can explain better will chime in.

I appreciate you trying to explain. It just appears to me that there is going to be very little movement, and possible lowering, for NMSF. It seems odd that there is enormous movement just for Hispanic students.

Hispanic students did better than they have in the past, possibly because the test was less biased against them?

Were the vocabulary sections biased? Maybe that’s why they were removed.

I just think the test was easier without the various methods used in the past to “trick” the taker into picking the wrong answer. I mean with the old SAT/PSAT most of the “study” time was used in learning the test and the things they do to get you to pick the wrong answer and avoiding them.

Could be. It is also true that in many poor Latino areas, the schools aren’t the greatest. In our neighborhood, they have test scores that are really really poor. Wealthier families are able to pay for Test Preparation. Some programs are now offering this for low income students through EOP. These programs possibly could be helping. Another factor is environmental, in East LA where we lived when my son was born, we were right adjacent to a freeway. Studies have found that mother’s who lived within a mile of a freeway are 4.4 times more likely to give birth to children who will later be diagnosed with autism. Exide which has been in the news in Los Angeles, had toxic plumes contaminating the neighborhood nearby with lead and other toxins. Does lead impact learning? Of course it does.

unfortunately toxin exposure to the poor comes from all over. In the local bodegas here is Philly they sell the cheap candies and toys from Mexico that are known to have high levels of toxins like lead.

@djhsmom Hi did you call NHRP to get that cut off score for California? Did your kid get an invitation to apply yet?

Wow! For Connecticut is 194! Much higher than past years! So unfair!!! Cut off were set up way too high this year. Specially considering that this is a brand new test. I have emailed college board. This only means less students will be able to receive this award.

They made it higher so mess Hispanic students have access to this recognition. Very unfair!

The cut-off score is higher because students scored better than in the past. Nothing unfair about it.

The same number of students (5000) get it every year; they have not reduced the number of awards. The higher cut-off just reflects the compression of scoring under the new PSAT.

I called and for Florida it is 204!

Really comparing last years scores to this year’s is comparing apples to oranges. They are completely different tests with completely different scales. You really can’t say Hispanics did better this year without percentiles. If after we get the percentiles, the cutoffs are in a higher percentile than last year’s cutoffs, then we can say Hispanics did better this year.

I’m wondering if anyone has ever heard of what is happening with my son. My son scored a 196 on the PSAT in TX in Oct 2014. He marked hispanic on the PSAT form but he did not receive an invitation to apply to NHRP, so he self-nominated in May 2015. He received notification in Jul 2015 that he received the award. He was not on the list of recipients received by his high school from the College Board. I notified his HS that he self-nominated, sent them his notification letter and certificate and they also received independent acknowledgement from the College Board that he received the honor. His HS will not acknowledge the honor in any school award ceremony or publicity because CB will not put him on the official school list of recipients. He is on a self-nominee list. He has attended this HS all four years and took the qualifying PSAT there. This matters because this award is considered an advanced measure towards a distinguished diploma and they refuse to count it. Am I wrong to be angry with the school? Or is this the college board’s fault?