Md. Teacher Finds Botched PSAT Question

WBALTV ^ | May 14, 2003 | WBAL

[ZinGirl]

Md. Teacher Finds Botched PSAT Question

Student Test Scores Increased Due To Erroneous Question

POSTED: 9:00 p.m. EDT May 14, 2003

The nation's largest testing company has increased the PSAT scores of nearly 500,000 high school juniors after the company concluded it was wrong about the correct answer to a grammar question posed on the exam last October.

Students were asked if anything was grammatically wrong with the following sentence: "Toni Morrison's genius enables her to create novels that arise from and express the injustices African-Americans have endured."

The correct choice on the multiple choice exam was originally listed as "no error" by the Educational Testing Service of Princeton, N.J., which administers the PSAT and SAT for the College Board. The PSAT is aimed at helping juniors prepare for the SAT college entrance exam in their senior year.

Maryland high school journalism teacher Kevin Keegan spotted the botched question in late January.

He informed ETS that the sentence was incorrect because the pronoun in the sentence -- "her" -- was used improperly. Keegan said pronouns should only refer to nouns and in this case Morrison's name is used as an adjective.

The ETS said a committee of experts signed off on the question, which was posed on the exam given Oct. 15 to 1.8 million juniors.

In letters and telephone calls, Keegan persevered.

From experience, he knew that the loss of one or two points on the PSAT could disqualify a junior from becoming a National Merit commended student or a National Merit semifinalist. National Merit academic honors are determined by PSAT scores.

"I have taught dozens of kids over the years who have missed those two cutoffs by one point or one question," he said.

Based on a review by three experts, ETS this month informed Keegan and the students that the sentence would not be counted in the scoring. As a result, the scores of 480,000 students will rise.

Lee Jones, a College Board vice president, said the National Merit Scholarship Program has also agreed to adjust its limits.

"He was persistent in his point and we appreciate that," Jones said of Keegan. "And, he turned out to be correct."

[ZinGirl]

"Toni Morrison's genius enables her to create novels that arise from and express the injustices African-Americans have endured."

Interesting choice of sentences to "correct", anyway. I'm sure I'm being sensitive....but do we always have to have an agenda? Could they NOT have formed a sentence without throwing in the race card?

[netmilsmom]

What is the correct answer?

[ZinGirl]

here's what "they" say: the sentence was incorrect because the pronoun in the sentence -- "her" -- was used improperly. Keegan said pronouns should only refer to nouns and in this case Morrison's name is used as an adjective.

[ZinGirl]

(I meant to add that I thought it should be "which" instead of "that" in the sentence.....shows what *I* know!)

[MightyMouseToSaveThe Day]

Toni Morrison has a genius which allows her to... blah blah...

But I think the REAL correction ought to be:
Toni Morrison writes mediocre novels... blah blah

[CaptainJustice]

"The genius of Toni Morrison enables her to do whatever she does." Like that.

[JOE6PAK]

"BILL CLINTON'S PENI$ enables him to create novels that arise from and express the injustices WHITE HOUSE INTERNS have endured."

...well WHY NOT?

[byteback]

I thought the correction would be

Toni Morrison's genes enables her to create novels that arise from and express the injustices African-Americans have endured.

[Freedom2specul8]

I thought you might enjoy seeing this. I didn't know a person's name could be used as an adjective?

[Lil'freeper]

Including the word 'genius' renders the entire sentence false.

[ZinGirl]

good....except, according to this Keegan guy, you're still breaking the rule of using a pronoun in that manner.

(no matter how true the statement...NOR how many rules Clinton "violated"!)

[FreePaul]

Probably should be genus instead of genius.

[Joe 6-pack]

"What is the correct answer?"

I have put in the appropriate corrections:

Toni Morrison's genius as an enabler arises from the injustices African-Americans like Bill Clinton have endured."

[netmilsmom]

Thank you!

[Lil'freeper]

It would certainly be clearer to say "Her genius enabled Toni Morrison to blah blah blah..."

[So Cal Rocket]

I believe for it to be grammitically correct the sentence should read:

"Toni Morrison is enabled by her genius to..."

This makes "Toni Morrison" rather than "Tony MOrrison's genius" the subject of the sentence.

For it to be logically correct the sentence would have to be reconstructed entirely.

[b4its2late]

It ain't no big deal.....

[MHT]

I thought it was in error because the hyphen was not between Afrian and American!

[ZinGirl]

Could we say

"Her genuis enabled Toni Morrison...blah, blah, blah,"

(I still think it should be "which arise from", not "that arise from")

Honestly, I don't think the guy is correct.