WaPo articles on the New SAT I

Parents Forum
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<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12757-2005Jan15.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12757-2005Jan15.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>An interesting article from the Washington Post about scoring the writing section on the new SAT I. To me, it sounds like they've made an already controversial testing system even more arbitrary.
What does this mean for the SATII Writing? Is it still recommended or does the new SATI now suffice?</p>

<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12403-2005Jan15.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12403-2005Jan15.html&lt;/a>
Jay Matthews on the anxieties caused by deciding when to take the test. As if there isn't already enough tension. . .</p>

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<p>It will be very interesting to see if the college board can come up with readers who can score these essays with any consistency. I fear the real agenda behind the new test is political not educational. Nobody is really happy that rich kids - the vast majority white and asian monopolize the top scoring in these standardized tests or that the tests play such a pivotal part in the college rankings or that the college rankings play such a big role in college finances.</p>

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<p>One theory I heard is that College Board caved and put on a writing section when the Cali system said they would quit using SAT. That would be a $$$ solution for SAT to keep their income level steady. To think of losing that many students. </p>

<p>I thought that they were discontinuing the SAT II writing in March? Anyone know?</p>

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<p>From things I've read locally, I believe the UC (Univ. of Cal.) regents nearly take <em>credit</em> for precipitating the addition of the Writing section into the SAT I. And once it's added, the SAT II Writing test is no longer needed by schools that previously required or recommended it.</p>

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<p>Nevertheless, he says, the writer displays "a clear chain of thought" and should be rewarded, "despite his Republican tendencies."</p>

<p>The essay is virtually illegible -- no marks are deducted for bad handwriting -- but it is two pages long and is sprinkled with academic-sounding words such as "commodity" and "value."</p>

<p>These are the two things that jumped out at me when I read this on the trip back to school today... commodity and value are academic sounding words?!?!?!</p>

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<p>soccerguy, I had exactly the same reaction. I'm willing to give the scorer the benefit of the doubt and assume the "Republican" comment is ironic (secretive squirrels=rightwing fanatics?) and I will let commodity pass as well, but "value" as a highfalutin' word. . ? With so much at stake for so many kids the College Board had better put a lid on the interviews. Fast.</p>

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<p>Bah! Registration? To hell with that.</p>

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<p>The last SAT II writing is this month - January.</p>

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<p>Anyone else think it was interesting that they met in Iowa City? The SAT does appear to be evolving to a more ACT-like test.</p>