"Standardized Testing"
An Intro to the SSAT & the ISEE
Editor’s note: Testing is one of the realities of private school admission. Parents and students labor and pour over the tests, test preparation and divine clues about what roles test scores play in each school’s admission decision. Our colleagues at Aristotle Circle are kindly sharing their expertise in private school admission tests through a two [...]
Read MoreIt’s Not About Tests. It’s About Rigorous Curricula
Alex Mallory has a piece over at the Huffington Post titled, “The Real Reason Private Schools Drop AP Tests.” His argument is nice, but everything in it is premised on time, money and resources that most schools don’t have. Of course a school, or district (does Mallory know about public school districts?) can write their [...]
Read MoreHeather Hoerle Named SSATB Executive Director
The Secondary School Admission Test Board (SSATB) has appointed Heather Hoerle to follow Regan Kenyon as the board’s executive director. Ms. Hoerle brings a full independent school background to SSATB having worked in independent schools and at independent school professional associations. Her professional stops include the George School, Westtown School, The Association of Boarding Schools, [...]
Read MoreThe Top Ten List of What I Learned as a Parent About Searching for the Right College
So it’s finally over. The decisions are in, the choice is made, and the bumper sticker is on the car – and what a ride it has been! Fourteen months ago, I bought a GPS (whom we named Rhonda – “Help me, Rhonda!”), got in the car and set off for a tour of Maryland, [...]
Read MoreFive Years of Planing Culminates In New Future and Plan For SSATB
Working to focus and best serve particular mission areas of independent schools, SSAT announced the establishment of the Consortium for Independent Education (CIE). The CIE will create focused bodies to serve and reflect the increasingly complex missions and market demands of independent schools and their families. Five service groups will comprise the the CIE: The [...]
Read MoreHarvard Study Questions the Predictive Value of Advanced Placement Courses in Science and Math
A four year study by Harvard’s Philip M. Sadler and UVA’s Robert H. Tai concludes that, while the curriculum and rigor required of student in AP courses is worthy, success in AP science and math courses cannot predict a student’s success once in college. Sadler concludes for the Harvard Gazette (High School AP Courses Do [...]
Read MoreSelecting a Private School: It’s not easy nor should it be
After fielding questions from a caller inquiring about our school (The Webb Schools), it is inevitable that I get: “So, where can I find your ranking among other boarding schools?” Happens all the time. Much to their dismay, I have to tell them that there is no such thing and happily so. Yes, there have [...]
Read MoreMaking Lemonade
Over the summer, articles from prominent national publications have flown across my desk on almost a weekly basis, each in one way or another decrying the state of college admissions, financial aid, college affordability, college testing and more. It can be gut-wrenching, but in the spirit of being handed lemons, it’s also an opportunity to [...]
Read MoreClassic Novels, Old and New
Editor’s note: We’re thrilled to feature this guest post by Lydia Anderson from Summit Educational Group. Summit provides high-quality, affordable standardized test preparation from the SSAT to SAT. Most high school students complete a reading list of books written long before they were born. While these remain classics for a reason, they can often feel [...]
Read MoreWhy Not Just Be Clear About How Each College Factors Standardized Test Scores in Admission
The College Board has raised hackles again with a policy change. Called Score Choice, this program gives students the option to control which test scores get sent to schools. (This really isn’t a new policy; it’s a return to an earlier policy circa 1993-2002 when students could choose to send schools their best scores over [...]
Read MoreScarsdale Opts Out of AP Curriculum
Late week we wrote a piece about the growing number of colleges that no longer use the SAT as part of their admission evaluation. I had no idea that the number of non-SAT colleges and universities had grown to 800 or so. We noted that the choice to remove standardized testing from the college admission [...]
Read MoreThe SAT Conundrum
The Boston Globe ran short exposition article looking at the current state of the ‘drop the SAT’ movement. All of the standard anti-SAT arguments appear- inaccurate predictor of college success, tilted in favor the wealthy (cultural exposure and test prep), use the SAT but assign less value to it in the admission process, no SAT [...]
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