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Can Americans ‘Handle the Truth’ About Individual Achievement Differences?
James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | May 29, 2019 | George Leef

Posted on 05/29/2019 6:03:24 AM PDT by reaganaut1

In the 1992 movie “A Few Good Men,” there is a courtroom scene where the prosecuting attorney (played by Tom Cruise) tells the defendant Marine officer Nathan Jessup (played by Jack Nicholson) that he wants the truth. To that, Jessup shouts back, “You can’t handle the truth.”

What brings that to mind is the recent revelation that the College Board (CB) has begun calculating an “adversity score” for each student who takes its aptitude test, the SAT. Apparently, the people running the CB don’t believe that we can handle the truth that individual students vary in their academic abilities, and therefore their actual SAT scores must be adjusted (“put in context”) to supposedly reflect the circumstances of the test taker.

Schools will receive adversity scores that boost the actual scores of students to the degree that the CB thinks they have faced adversity in their lives. How well students are actually prepared for academic work will now be hidden behind an egalitarian gauze that is supposed to make things more fair.

Strangely, the news about this change in the SAT was not trumpeted by the CB itself but rather was revealed in the Wall Street Journal. Author Douglas Belkin explained that the CB “has worried about income inequality influencing test results for years” and he quotes CB chief executive David Coleman, “We can’t sit on our hands and ignore the disparities of wealth reflected in the SAT.”

The “adversity score” for each test taker will depend on 15 factors relating to the area of the student’s high school, such as poverty levels and crime rates. What counts is the area, not specifics about the student and his or her family.

(Excerpt) Read more at jamesgmartin.center ...


TOPICS: Education
KEYWORDS: adversityscore; bellcurve; collegeadmissions; helixmakemineadouble; iq; jameswatson; sat
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1 posted on 05/29/2019 6:03:24 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1
Can Americans handle TRUTH?
2 posted on 05/29/2019 6:04:48 AM PDT by Savage Beast (A Manichaean struggle between TRUTH and evil grips America. Pray for the triumph of TRUMP and TRUTH!)
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To: reaganaut1

“Can Americans ‘Handle the Truth’ About Individual Achievement Differences?”

E Gad! They BETTER-before they get wheeled into the operating room for brain surgery!!!

‘It makes an enormous emotional and practical difference whether you accept the world wholly and heartily or only grudgingly and in part.” W. James


3 posted on 05/29/2019 6:07:37 AM PDT by SMARTY ("Nobility is defined by the demands it makes on us - by obligations, not by rights".)
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To: Savage Beast

America KNOWS the truth. It is the corrupt media’s constant brainwashing that no one believes.


4 posted on 05/29/2019 6:08:46 AM PDT by IC Ken (Stop making stupid people famous)
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To: reaganaut1

In the context of the bribery/cheating scandal, it’s pretty clear that wealthy parents can’t handle the truth that little Biff or Muffy are dumb as dirt.

In my opinion, the very fact that the boards use an “adversity score” to level the so-called playing field is, like quotas and similar efforts, racist in and of itself. It presumes that “people of color” (I guess white people really are white and not various shades of flesh tones...?) can’t make it without help.

What we really should be examining is why “people of color” tend to perform poorly on the college boards. I would contend that it’s because of the quality of education they’re subjected to - particularly in our larger cities - and not the fact that they’re not as smart, which the “adversity score” approach presumes.


5 posted on 05/29/2019 6:20:20 AM PDT by ManHunter (You can run, but you'll only die tired... Army snipers: Reach out and touch someone)
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To: SMARTY

The colleges GET this report.

The ones that ignore it (and there will be those) will soar above the colleges that don’t not too far down the line.

Companies will make it clear (even if behind closed doors) how much they want these “adversity” kids working for them.

It may end up being a good thing in the not so long run.

PC is one thing.

$$ are another.

We see how many minorities are being hired for tech and upper management positions in the “liberal” tech companies.

Not many at all.

I’m sure they will know which colleges are putting any weight to this adversity score nonsense.

Because on top of only decent grades, there’s nothing a company wants more than a kid from a #$#$ed up family who grew up in a #$#$ed up neighborhood and is possibly #$#$ed up in ways that will just cause massive grief for a company.


6 posted on 05/29/2019 6:24:32 AM PDT by dp0622 (The Left should know if Trump is kicked out of office, it is WAR)
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To: ManHunter
What we really should be examining is why “people of color” tend to perform poorly on the college boards. I would contend that it’s because of the quality of education they’re subjected to - particularly in our larger cities - and not the fact that they’re not as smart, which the “adversity score” approach presumes.

I think it's largely average differences in IQ. The Asian/White/Hispanic/Black ordering of academic achievement exists within schools.

7 posted on 05/29/2019 6:27:08 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: ManHunter

My grade school had lots of minority students. The same books, the same classroom instruction, the same teacher, the same homework, the same class time...etc.

Consistently lower on tests.

Bottom line-if you cut class, sleep in class, won’t apply yourself, don’t value an education, etc... then, it doesn’t matter about your school, teachers, books, instruction or anything ELSE


8 posted on 05/29/2019 6:28:23 AM PDT by SMARTY ("Nobility is defined by the demands it makes on us - by obligations, not by rights".)
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To: SMARTY

I’m presuming your “minority” students weren’t Asian?


9 posted on 05/29/2019 6:31:05 AM PDT by Jakarta ex-pat
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To: reaganaut1

It’s differences in ambition.

Some folks are thinking about having a good career, others just want to get high and take what life gives them.


10 posted on 05/29/2019 6:32:25 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: SMARTY
Bottom line-if you cut class, sleep in class, won’t apply yourself, don’t value an education, etc... then, it doesn’t matter about your school, teachers, books, instruction or anything ELSE

Exactly right.

The culture isn't a good culture. The culture needs to change. If the culture doesn't change, and if poverty, crime, and unhappiness continue ... don't blame me. It's not my problem to fix.

11 posted on 05/29/2019 6:34:13 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (If White Privilege is real, why did Elizabeth Warren lie about being an Indian?)
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To: Savage Beast

I’m Asian. I used to hate affirmative action of this sort. It goes against something very basic in our humanity in my view. I still do but start to understand. When you imported a bunch of morally and intellectually incompatible people into your living space, it’s like you put a drop of ink in a glass of clear water. For a short while there are some spots where water is still clear. But if you gives it enough time the whole glass will be murky, EVERYTHING in it. I have not factored slavery into this logic yet. Handout used to refer to a check or food stamp. Now it is upgraded to be academic and social achievements and blacks want it as if they earn it.


12 posted on 05/29/2019 6:34:24 AM PDT by Lee25
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To: Lee25

It’s called “Crab Bucket Mentality”, they will pull back in any crabs that try to escape.


13 posted on 05/29/2019 6:35:53 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: IC Ken
"America KNOWS the truth. It is the corrupt media’s constant brainwashing that no one believes."

You're absolutely right.

And it is immensely encouraging that after years of constant, relentless propaganda and attempts to brain-wash the public, at least half of America sees the TRUTH!

14 posted on 05/29/2019 6:37:58 AM PDT by Savage Beast (A Manichaean struggle between TRUTH and evil grips America. Pray for the triumph of TRUMP and TRUTH!)
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To: reaganaut1

The problem with SAT scores is liberalism and political correctness.


15 posted on 05/29/2019 6:38:02 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: reaganaut1
Yes, but there is a certain level of educational achievement one should be able to reach even with an IQ of, say, 85. That so few are reaching it is indicative of horrible flaws in our educational system. Flaws that are doing even more damage at the upper end, where any number of 120+ IQ students settle into lives as professional video gamers (or worse - Wall Street quants) rather than earning PhD’s in Physics and Engineering.

We misuse the resources we have, and then find ourselves forced to import workers from countries like China and India which haven’t misused their resources quite so badly. There isn’t a punishment severe enough that I can think up for the leaders of government education who have deliberately done this to their nation.

16 posted on 05/29/2019 6:40:18 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
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To: reaganaut1

I’m a better doctor than that other guy, because I grew up in the projects, learning to avoid violent predators, while that other guy just sat in quiet places and learned how to memorize medications and symptoms.


17 posted on 05/29/2019 6:41:06 AM PDT by Teacher317 (We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men)
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To: reaganaut1

“I think it’s largely average differences in IQ.”

Facts like THAT r NOT permitted !

U no, say things like american indians,sub-saharan tribes, aboriginals are all equal to ancient Greeks, island dwellers in the Med who even had indoor plumbing etc etc reading, riting,rithmatic....


18 posted on 05/29/2019 6:43:09 AM PDT by litehaus (A memory toooo long.............)
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To: reaganaut1

Ask Charles Murray.


19 posted on 05/29/2019 6:43:54 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: dp0622

One thing which might have a positive impact: have the feds publish statistics, by school and major, of median income of graduates a couple of years after graduation.

Give parents some real statistics of what they can expect from each school.


20 posted on 05/29/2019 6:46:07 AM PDT by SauronOfMordor (Socialists want YOUR wealth redistributed, never THEIRS!)
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