What place, if any, for standardized tests?

["J. Davis" <jhd@WNCNET.NET>]

There has been a great deal of discussion on on how not to use standardized
tests.  I'd like to hear from the list's members what they believe the
_proper_ use of standardized tests is and what place they should have in
holistic assesment of skills.  So far the arguments that I have seen in my
few weeks of being on this mailing list have basically hammered most
standardized testing because it is misused in some cases and overemphasized
in others.  What use, if any, is there for standardized testing?

Consider the case of a college admissions board that has N slots for new
students and N+k applicants.  They come upon the applications of two
students, One and Two.  One and Two want to pursue math degrees.  One has a
3.8 GPA, but slightly below-median standardized test (let's say SAT, for
example) scores.  Two has a 2.8 GPA, but Two's SAT scores are in the top 5th
percentile for the math section.  The admissions board has no information on
the K-12 curriculums in the two students' different schools.  There is a
single slot left that can be given to either of these students.  My
question, then, is:  all other factors being equal (as impossible as that
is), what weight would you assign to the GPAs vs. the standardized test
scores in determining which student to offer the position to?  You may use
as the "goals" of the admissions board any goals that you think realistic
(for example, one goal may be to simply have the highest freshman GPA
possible at the end of this group's first year.  Or, the goal may be to have
as many students complete the four year degree program as possible).  What
factors would be most important in _your_ decision?

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