College Board Scores With Critics of SAT Analogies [No More Verbal Analogy in SAT-more dumbing down]

LA Times ^ | 7/27/03 | By Paul Pringle

[randita]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sat27jul27,1,1810756.story?coll=la-home-headlines

 

College Board Scores With Critics of SAT Analogies

By Paul Pringle

Times Staff Writer

July 27, 2003

The SAT is to college admission ...

" ... As a root canal is to a dentist?" said Peter Lee, 16. He and several other weary-looking high school students had just emerged from a four-hour SAT prep class in Glendale.

"As a root canal is to a patient?" suggested Emin Gharibian, 17.

Neither of those worked for Anthony Kwon, 16. "As a root canal is to pain," he said.

Pain is typically the refrain when college-bound youngsters jaw about the SAT. But some relief is coming. This month, University of California regents approved plans for a revamped SAT that would eliminate its long-maligned analogy section, after more than 70 years of torturing the correlation-challenged.

UC President Richard Atkinson had railed against the analogies, which account for 19 of the SAT's 72 verbal questions, as a memory drill that measured little of a student's potential. He threatened to scrap the SAT as a UC requirement unless the test makers replaced the multiple-choice analogies with reading comprehension questions, added a writing exercise and expanded the math portion.

The College Board, the New York-based firm that owns the SAT, gave Atkinson what he wanted. And no wonder: UC is to the board as General Motors is to U.S. Steel — a huge customer. The analogies will disappear in 2005.

[joesnuffy]

Like the Wiz said to the Scarecrow
"You dont need a brain..what you need is a diploma"

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

LOL. That about sums it up.

[Sacajaweau]

I'm a New Yorker. Lived down south for a while. They were giving out awards to kids who had "achieved" a score of 800 TOTAL on the SATs.

[wunderkind54]

Coming to a test near you soon...

"What do the letters SAT stand for?"

Anyone know? Anyone care? Oh hell, everyone passes. We can't have egos bruised.

I fear for the future leaders of this country.

[Puppage]

He and several other weary-looking high school students

Weary from watching reality tv shows....NOT from crack'n the books, I'm sure.

[Puppage]

kids who had "achieved" a score of 800 TOTAL on the SATs

Dear God!!!

Don't you get 200 for writing your name at the top of the exam?

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Who is "they"? Having lived in the South much of my life, I've never heard of such a thing. I have heard of Yankees (especially New Yorkers) thinking that they are the most brilliant of all.

[gaspar]

By definition, half of all students and half of all instructors teaching at a university are below average intelligence for that institution. Invariably the intellectually challenged student will persue an education degree and be taught by academic phonies who people education departments. The result: Since the brightest of women no longer choose teaching for a career, we have produced three generations of mediocrities to teach our children.

[SauronOfMordor]

They were giving out awards to kids who had "achieved" a score of 800 TOTAL on the SATs.

Please don't tell me this (although I fear it's true). 800 score puts you in the bottom 14%

[Semper Paratus]

The NEA is to education, as the UN is to World Peace.

[abclily]

Mustn't bother our future leaders with logic - that would be abusive and against their civil rights!

[KarlInOhio]

With the drive for smaller and smaller class sizes, we have to go further to the left on the bell curve to get the required number of teachers.

[abclily]

The NEA is to education, as the Communists were to the Soviet Union.

[abclily]

The drive for smaller class size is motivated by the NEA's desire for more dues-paying members. Smaller class size does not result in higher test scores. Classroom discipline results in higher test scores.

[Eternal_Bear]

we have to make the test totally fair to the stupid ones. After all doesn't the Constituition say we have to make everyone equal? {sarcasm)

[Maigrey]

H°°°, I nearly made that on the math portion of the SAT and that was 12 years ago. Sheesh!

[Evil Inc]

It all makes the legal system easier.
'white' is to 'guilty of hate crime' as 'black' is to 'victim'

[Paladin2]

Here's the new intellectual challenge with the SAT - Getting a perfect 400 (200+200).

http://www.colinfahey.com/2003apr5_sat/2003apr5_sat.htm

[NickRails]

Slightly off topic, in the NYC public scool system, there are graduation ceremonies for each grade, including cap, gown and diploma, starting from Kindergarten on.

When I was a kid, you got one diploma, period, high school.