Re: SAT manipulation

[Nancy Patterson <patter@VOYAGER.NET>]

Yup, Stephanie.  Let's see how many ways we can bash schools.  Let's see how
many ways schools fail.  Geez I get tired of this from the press.  I have a
degree in journalism. I know what makes news and what doesn't.  But that
doesn't keep me from protesting this constant battering.  I am so sick of
hearing politicians ranting about how horrible our schools are, and I am so
sick of reading newspaper and magazine articles that use specious statistics
and lazy reporting to give the "facts" about testing, schooling, and teaching.

Why not find something really interesting.  Like how these tests
discriminate against students.  Like how US schools really stack up against
other countries.  Try reading _The Manufactured Crisis_ by Berliner and
Biddle, and then come back to us and ask some intelligent questions.

Or try poking your nose into one of the profession list servs, like
NCTE-Talk sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English and see
what is really going on in classrooms and the issues teachers face.  Try
taking a look at the level of professionalism that exists in classrooms.

Instead of looking at these meaningless test scores, try finding out the
relationship between test scores and economic status in your area.  And then
try reading Shirley Brice Heath's book _Ways With Words_ and come back and
ask us how we are dealing with this issue today.  Go for the tough issues
rather than the cheap shots. Or go for the article about how these high
stakes tests drive curriculum in directions that we know are not good for
students and drive teaching methods we know are not very effective.


At 03:28 PM 10/26/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Fair Test folks:
>This message is from Ron Barnett, a reporter for The Greenville News, a
>daily newspaper in South Carolina. I've been following your recent
>debate with interest. My partner on the education beat is looking into
>an issue we hope you can help us with. Here's her question.
>
>I'm looking into how some schools may be manipulating test scores,
>specifically  S.A.T. scores. One example: I've heard that some guidance
>counselors encourage (lower achieving) students not to send their scores
>to colleges until they see how well (or not well) they perform on the
>test (thereby increasing the average score at that school).
>
>This, of course, enables schools to avoid reporting the lower scores
>which makes them look better in the eyes of people who judge everything
>by those numbers.
>
>I am wondering if any of you can comment on this or point us to someone
>who can.
>Thanks for your help,
>Stephanie Erickson at The Greenville News (new education reporter here)
>
>>From Ron Barnett, The Greenville News
>
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Nancy G. Patterson
patter@voyager.net
<http://www.msu.edu/user/patter90/opening.htm>
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