Re: Dateline: Utica, NY--Life isn't based on one test

[Rick Parkany <rparkany@BORG.COM>]

Folks:    just an update on the moderating voice concerning
Standards Based Education here in the Mohwak Valley as
represented THIS time by a lead editorial in the Utica, NY,
Observer-Dispatch. This follows by one day the leading feature
written by Megan Allen. Accompanying this editorial today is a
feature rotogravure entitled, *Teen All-Stars: A Salute to the
Mohawk Valley's Outstanding Youth*.

Thank you for the reinforcement, George. Sometimes we're so
isolated--even in the midst of our discourse. Better grab these
O-D articles fast. They disappear overnight and I haven't found a
way to access their morgue for past issues. Good luck, again,
George, if we can get the public discourse to turn around fast
enough, your prosecutors will have to start climbing uphill. I
hope this helps and thank you so much for your stewardship and
sacrific, once more. I'm also glad for each of your posts, glad,
too, that you don't mind this role of yours *Poster Child of the
anti-Standardistos*, either...    ;-} rap.

Life isn't based on one test
 Uticaod.com :
http://www.uticaod.com/opinion/opinion.htm

                  Some of the most valuable citizens sprinkled
throughout our
                  communities are not test takers. They?re bright
innovative
                  employees, hard workers, dedicated volunteers,
terrific
                  parents, and wonderful neighbors. But they?re
not test-takers.
                  Never have been.

                  That?s why the news that colleges are placing
less emphasis
                  on the age-old Scholastic Aptitude Test bodes
well for us all.
                  Since 1926, the SAT has been the bane of high
school
                  students? existence. Anyone who wanted to get
into a decent
                  college had better score well on this mother of
all tests ?
                  which examines a student?s English and math
skills ? with
                  each section scored on a basis of 800. The SAT
has
                  traditionally been used as one gauge in the
college
                  admissions process, and also has been an
indicator for
                  groups handing out scholarships.

                  The exam is a stress-enhancer for students,
especially those
                  who are driven to excel, and a big money-maker
for
                  organizations that create tutorials and other
guides to ?help?
                  students do well. It?s not uncommon for some
students to
                  take the test several times in order to get the
best score
                  possible.

                  While the SAT test might indicate how a certain
student
                  performs on a given day under synthetic work
conditions, it
                  isn?t a very accurate measure of an
individual?s ability to
                  succeed. And it?s heartening to see that many
colleges are
                  finally wising up to that.

                  The thinking now includes something that?s been
sorely
                  lacking for too many years in determining a
person?s worth
                  ? logic. And that logic parallels that which
might be used in
                  any community across the country when
evaluating its
                  people ? what does he or she really contribute?

                  That?s why many in education are now urging
students to
                  diversify ? become involved in a variety of
activities and take
                  challenging course work to prepare for college
admissions.
                  Get involved in music. Play sports. Do
volunteer work. Work
                  a part-time job. Take electives.

                  It makes perfect sense. A student who tests
well but does
                  little or nothing else probably isn?t the best
representative in
                  the group. Likewise, the most book-smart
employee isn?t
                  necessarily the best representative of the
organization. In
                  each instance, it?s better to rely on the
hard-working
                  performer whose portfolio includes a diverse
package of
                  activities.

                  There?s a great example of this inside today?s
                  Observer-Dispatch. It?s our annual Teen
All-Star section, and
                  it profiles 30 of the region?s many outstanding
high school
                  seniors. When the O-D began this recognition in
1992, one of
                  the criteria was SAT scores. But we stopped
asking for
                  those two years later after Michael Simpson,
then-president
                  of Utica College, and several other area
educators convinced
                  us that SAT scores do not necessarily reflect
those who
                  become the most all-around citizens of the
college
                  community.

                  They were right. And it?s vital to emphasize
that young
                  people become involved in a host of activities.
After all, our
                  high schools and colleges are microcosms of our

                  communities. Growing a constituency of
productive citizens
                  who contribute to their community is not
something we base
                  on a single test. Life consists of many tests.
It?s about time
                  we all recognize that.

>

...SNIP...

> Colleges relying less on SATs
>  Uticaod.com :
> http://www.uticaod.com/news/local2.htm
>
>                   Extracurricular activities, grades a better
> indicator of
>                   well-rounded students
>
>                   By MEGAN ALLEN
>                   Observer-Dispatch
>

...SNIP...
--
"Dein Wachstum sei feste und lache vor Lust!
Deines Herzens Trefflichkeit / hat dir selbst das Feld bereit',
auf dem du bluehen musst." Peasant, Richard A. Parkany:
SUNY@Albany
Prometheus Educational Services - http://www.borg.com/~rparkany/
Upper Hudson & Mohawk Valleys; New York State, USA

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