<p>I would keep going at this, but if you want to end it, then that's fine too. I want to start by with your last paragraph, which says that I'm "unable to think outside the lines" and that my life is "governed by theories formed by others" because I am able to back up my opinions with studies and actual evidence. That type of accusation is so inane that I don't even know if I need to respond to that. I actually laughed out loud when I read that. I'm using studies to PROVE my point, rather than being like you, and just citing a few friends of mine as the basis for all humans. What sounds more valid: saying that a lot of people I know were valedictorians and didn't go far in life, or using that Illinois study about valedictorians going far in life? What is better: saying that teachers have a hard time dealing with the curriculums that standardized tests make or actually quoting a teacher ranting about that? Also, my last comment (I just recounted) was 29 lines, and I devoted 6 of them to other people's studies. So, to say that that means that I am "governed by theories formed by others" is obviously you just trying to be as over-the-top as you can.
OK, now to the SAT stuff. It seems that despite all of the overwhelming evidence I've shown (likw that study I posted about how the SATs affect performance that I posted) which proves otherwise, you are very, very sure of yourself that SAT performance is directly related to how "sharp" you are. Now, after you accuse me of relying on the theories of others, and not being able to "think outside the lines" (the phrase should be "think outside the box" by the way), to blindly say that the SATs show how intelligent you are, without having any proof for that besides a few of your friends, seems much more of a mindlessly accepting attitude than I have, since going against the status quo by definition is thinking outside of the box. I don't even think the Collegeboard would argue that people who get lower SAT scores are "intellectually inferior" as you say! The Collegeboard just thinks that the SAT measures some skills you may have picked up in high school. So, if I'm not allowed to use studies to prove you wrong, what can I say, besides the fact that there are many, many ways to be intelligent besides the ones that we are just taught in the classroom? Have you learned Howard Gardner's nine types of intelligence? I think you would benefit a lot from looking them up. And to say that any one test, let alone a multiple choice test, can validate someone's intelligence is very far-fetched. I know you said you won't have much time to keep debating this, but if you do, I would be EXTREMELY curious what about the nature of the SAT you think can show universally who is smart and who is dumb. I'd be extremely curious how you think being able to answer a question like "In line 7, "lugubrious" is referring to..." or "what is the arithmetic mean of this set of numbers" will make you an overall superior person to someone who answers that incorrectly? How can you possibly think that that's all there is to life? And as much as you can disagree, the SAT is totally about the tricks. My SAT tutor even admitted that! After I learned the tricks (like don't go for the really specific answer, and don't pick something negative towards a group of people, only guess if you can eliminate one or more answer, etc.), my Critical Reading score increased 100 points. And as for you arguing that many diverse people get great SAT scores, the white, rich, men still do SOOOOOO much better on the SATs than do poor, minority women. Like, by FARRR. But I won't cite any statistic, because then you'll get mad at me for relying on others... Ugh, I have to, it's too hard not to. Go to National</a> Statistics on Education and Equity Issues, By Race and Ethnicity
As for saying that grades are even more subjective as noticed by that scandal, I completely agree! I'm not arguing for a greater emphasis on GPA. Actually, I think that grades should be abolished too. I would want a greater emphasis on things that are actually about you as an individual, like written comments, portfolios, student-led parent-teacher conferences, exhibitions, etc. The Metropolitan Learning Center, Poughkeepsie Day School, School Without Walls, Alternative Community School, Hawthorne Valley School, Malcolm Shabazz City High School, Waring School, Carolina Friends School, and Saint Anns School all don't have grades, and they all send kids to Ivy League schools all the time! (Not that Ivy League schools are more impressive than non-Ivy schools, but I want to prove that even the insanely competitive schools don't need grades to make an admissions decision). I don't think grades are any better than tests. If you make the emphasis all about grades, then students will become crazily stressed about how well they do on their tests in school, and they won't be able to be as interested in the actual content of the class. If you are more interested in what is wrong with grades, read the chapter "From Degrading to De-Grading" in the book "What Does it Mean to be Well Educated?"
Last, I want to talk about the Bowdoin issue. You cannot simply assume that "all the fort lee kids with the phony gpa's and 1700 sat scores are applying there en masse". There is NOTHING to back that up. How can you possibly assume that? So, since you are not a person who likes to actually see what the percents show, I looked it up myself, and in the book By Design by Richard J. Light, it says that approximately 70% of applicants to Bowdoin each year submit SAT scores. So, chill.
I can't wait to see you at Swat next year! I would totally be up for discussing this issue more over dinner or something. :)
Since you say you won't post anymore, I would be very interested in what everyone else on this board thinks. Whose side are you on? If you are on my side, and are against standardized tests, I would encourage you to sign this online petition against Mayor Bloomberg, who is trying to get companies to make standardized tests for children in K-2... K-2</a> Testing Petition : [ powered by iPetitions.com ]</p>