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Closing the gap, that's what the nation's oldest used and misused college entrance exam will do in March 2005, according to the College Board. The SAT has long been controversial, a cultural bias examination that eliminates academically promising minority and low-income students who apply with strong academic records to college but with relatively low SAT scores are often overlooked by admissions counselors for entrance into colleges.
The articles used to recognize the cultural bias of the SAT examination, SAT Scores Remain Steady; Minority Improvement Noted by Catherine Carroll comes from Education Week , John Dotinga's article, Student Dilemma: Take the old SAT, or await the new? The Christian Science Monitor; and Record number of Minorities take SAT by Greg Toppo from USA Today, are similar that each author agrees scores of minority students have increased but highlighted scores didn't keep with the average white student's, whose scores in 2004 was 20 points higher even though scores remained the same as last year.
According to the College Board, the new test will include advanced level math and a written essay. The verbal analogies that leaned on vocabulary more likely to be known by students from affluent and well-read white families will be eliminated. The switch to the new test will treat minorities more equal. For many minorities, particularly those minorities coming from poor regions or homes with parents who have less formal education will continue to decline even without the analogies. The College Board failed to comprehend minority student's linguistic barriers between diverse cultures. When the SAT originated in the 1920s, it was geared toward white affluent aristocratic students because few minorities had the opportunity or resources to attend college. It was a selective examination and much has not change in present day.
Recognizing an age-old concern and being a statistic of this bias examination, I attended a junior college prior to entrance to a four-year university, not because my school academic record but because the college admissions counselors had relied heavily on scores as a measure of my academic achievement ignoring my non-academic skills, such as social and ambition skills. I realize experts in the scientific arena would state social and ambition skills can't be measured like academic skills, but the majority of those applicants are successful in their future lives because of their well-rounded diverse traits.
As a young adult, being rejected by the college of one choosing was a difficult obstacle, especially when your friends were leaving home to begin a new chapter in their lives. After transferring into the college of my choice and completing my education, I have a greater appreciation of my long journey. I recalled being angry for not being successful on this examination and self-doubted my abilities to succeed in a harsh society. Fortunately, my experience was a success but for many young minorities who are struggling for a better way of life it is another roadblock in achieving that dream to a better way of life.
What's the solution to close the gap for minorities? Some experts would agree eliminate the SAT examination for admission to colleges, others would say use non-academic skills of student's as entrance into colleges. There isn't a simple solution to the college entrance process however; public schools will be held accountable in preparing the minority students for success on this examination.
In the school system where I teach, minority performance on this examination has improved but could spiral downward because less than a third of the minority students don't take advanced math or have strong skills in writing. The school system does offer city-wide tutorial programs and workshops to aide minority students struggling with this examination but the success rates of these programs are few and between. The programs implemented are ineffective because many students are not taking advantage of the tutorial programs for various reasons but a main reason is language barrier between diverse cultures and students.
To close the gap, extra measures have been implemented, such as two weekends per a month was designated for students needing guidance in preparing for the upcoming SAT and offering the PSAT to over 1000 sophomore students free of charge and a nominal fee for those juniors wanting to gain practice prior to taking the SAT.
By offering students the opportunity to take the PSAT, this will give minority students an opportunity to explore the process of the SAT examination and tune-up skills before taking the SAT in March. In the school where I work and across Hampton Roads, sophomores are required to take the PSAT, one reason to identify students that may not be in the appropriate academic classes for preparing to attend college and the second reason is for National Merit Scholarships.
Although a record number of students took the high profile college entrance exam last year , students still lag behind those average white students. According to Ms. Carroll's article, the rise in scores for minorities posted a " respective" gain. Although the increase is positive, the gap is much to wide for college admissions counselors when considering minority students with respectable scores. These counselors seek individuals capable of doing academic level work.
SAT takers with limited English skills, or those in a urban highs schools that don't get extensive writing instructions will be at a huge disadvantage. With overcrowded classes, and the added pressure to succeed in the classroom many teachers are stirring off grammar instruction and papers that require students to think critical and analytical.
According to Mr. Toppo, Seppy Basilu of Kaplan Inc., the largest test-prep firm, who has set in numerous classes in city public schools, says many teachers grade papers for 185 students each day. "How much writing are they doing> and more advanced level math will benefit those who take courses such as calculus. He stressed schools must work harder in preparing minority for these courses to succeed in the SAT examination.