LA Times Editorial Piece:
I am so happy our president was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel committee's belief that Obama deserved recognition "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples" and his "vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons" far outweighs any criticism, including your disappointing editorial.Achievement of Obama's goals takes time. Promoting hope and the possibility for peace must be immediate in order to change the tenor of our times.
Madeline DeAntonio Encino
Many argue that it is too soon for him to win such an award. One man stated "After hearing that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, I immediately wrote the Nobel committee telling them that although I had not really accomplished anything in the field of science, I am forever talking about how much we need a cure for cancer. Surely, I explained to the committee, that should make me a clear front-runner for next year's Nobel in chemistry.
Based on the preceding arguments' claim and premises, do you think Obama is deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize? What are your thoughts? Give evidence to support your ideas . Speak on it seniors!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Is the SAT Culturally Biased?
Balance (1965 - 1990)
Cultural Bias
from: http://www.collegeboard.com/faithfulmirror/balance/sat/cultural.html
Some critics charged that the SAT was biased against minorities and the poor. The critics charged that African-Americans scored approximately 100 points lower on the SAT than did their white counterparts. They argued that this proved that the test was culturally biased.
The College Board did not deny that there was a score gap between white and minority test-takers. However, officials of the College Board, including former College Board president George Hanford, insisted that this did not prove the test's bias but only showed that there were unequal educational opportunities for minorities and whites. This, officials argued, showed that there needed to be further efforts at providing equal educational opportunities.
In Life with the SAT (1991), Hanford claims that he convinced the College Board trustees and black and Hispanic community leaders, including the National Urban League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, that publishing test score data would be in the interests of young blacks and Hispanics. Hanford suggested that when people saw the discrepancies in test scores between minority and white students, that there would be a general ground-swell in support of providing equal educational opportunities.
The critics also charged that vocabulary on individual test questions was not culturally sensitive and therefore discriminated against black and Hispanic students.
In response, The College Board and ETS initiated sensitivity reviews of test items as a way to identify and weed out discriminatory test items. The College Board also piloted testing programs designed to eliminate cultural bias, however, College Board officials continued to claim that the test itself was not biased.
Critics also charged that college admissions officers used the SAT as a way to discriminate against blacks in admissions. The College Board recognized that this was a possibility but tried to disassociate the test from "The Uses and Misuses of Tests," as a College Board Review article by Diane Ravitch was entitled.
More generally, the College Board responded to these critics in a number of ways.
The College Board continued to stand by psychometric judgment of standardized testing as highly reliable, valid, and predictable. The College Board insisted that the test, itself, did not discriminate against minorities.
The College Board began to make clearer distinctions between the tests (as objective and unbiased) and the uses or misuses of tests by college admissions officers and educators.
The College Board attempted to address minority issues through a number of initiatives. The College Board began desegregating its test-taking centers in the South in the late 1950s. The College Board had a program that waived the test fees for those unable to pay for the SAT as a way to encourage poor youth to contemplate higher education.
In The 62nd Annual Report of the College Board (1964-1965), College Board officials were optimistic about the possibilities that the SAT and the Board's testing program could weather the criticism tests received. By 1967-1968, the College Board was less optimistic.
Do you believe that the SAT test is culturally biased? Defend your reasoning taking specific examples from the text and/or your personal experiences.
Cultural Bias
from: http://www.collegeboard.com/faithfulmirror/balance/sat/cultural.html
Some critics charged that the SAT was biased against minorities and the poor. The critics charged that African-Americans scored approximately 100 points lower on the SAT than did their white counterparts. They argued that this proved that the test was culturally biased.
The College Board did not deny that there was a score gap between white and minority test-takers. However, officials of the College Board, including former College Board president George Hanford, insisted that this did not prove the test's bias but only showed that there were unequal educational opportunities for minorities and whites. This, officials argued, showed that there needed to be further efforts at providing equal educational opportunities.
In Life with the SAT (1991), Hanford claims that he convinced the College Board trustees and black and Hispanic community leaders, including the National Urban League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, that publishing test score data would be in the interests of young blacks and Hispanics. Hanford suggested that when people saw the discrepancies in test scores between minority and white students, that there would be a general ground-swell in support of providing equal educational opportunities.
The critics also charged that vocabulary on individual test questions was not culturally sensitive and therefore discriminated against black and Hispanic students.
In response, The College Board and ETS initiated sensitivity reviews of test items as a way to identify and weed out discriminatory test items. The College Board also piloted testing programs designed to eliminate cultural bias, however, College Board officials continued to claim that the test itself was not biased.
Critics also charged that college admissions officers used the SAT as a way to discriminate against blacks in admissions. The College Board recognized that this was a possibility but tried to disassociate the test from "The Uses and Misuses of Tests," as a College Board Review article by Diane Ravitch was entitled.
More generally, the College Board responded to these critics in a number of ways.
The College Board continued to stand by psychometric judgment of standardized testing as highly reliable, valid, and predictable. The College Board insisted that the test, itself, did not discriminate against minorities.
The College Board began to make clearer distinctions between the tests (as objective and unbiased) and the uses or misuses of tests by college admissions officers and educators.
The College Board attempted to address minority issues through a number of initiatives. The College Board began desegregating its test-taking centers in the South in the late 1950s. The College Board had a program that waived the test fees for those unable to pay for the SAT as a way to encourage poor youth to contemplate higher education.
In The 62nd Annual Report of the College Board (1964-1965), College Board officials were optimistic about the possibilities that the SAT and the Board's testing program could weather the criticism tests received. By 1967-1968, the College Board was less optimistic.
Do you believe that the SAT test is culturally biased? Defend your reasoning taking specific examples from the text and/or your personal experiences.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
IS THE SAT IN TROUBLE?
Is the SAT in Trouble?
Topics: Teen Years (13-19), College Admissions Tests
The SAT has long been a standard rite of passage for high school students across the country, but recently, it’s been feeling some heat from a competitor – the ACT. Over 520,000 students registered to take the October 28 ACT exam, 17 percent more than the previous year.
The ACT is not new: it’s been administered since 1959. In 2005, 1.2 million students took the test. For the current school year (2006-2007), that number is up 11%. In places that the SAT has long reigned supreme, particularly on the East and West coasts, ACT numbers are booming. In New Hampshire, registration is up by 98 percent. Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey have seen their numbers jump by two-thirds since last year. Twice as many students from New York, Connecticut, Georgia, and Florida are taking the ACT this year than did last. And California has seen a 35 percent rise.
Part of that may have to do with the difference between the two tests. About five years ago, the president of the University of California threatened to drop the SAT, if the test wasn’t adjusted to better reflect what the average high school student learns. The SAT got a major revamp last year, but still, critics say that the SAT is more of an aptitude test – examining a student’s facility for language and reasoning. The ACT, on the other hand, is more of an achievement test. Its sections – English, Math, Reading, and Science – measure what a student has learned in school, rather than their powers of deduction.
The new SAT has a required writing section, a boon for some students, and a curse for others. For the ACT, the writing portion is optional. Both tests can be taken as many times as a student wishes, but with the SAT, colleges have access to all their scores. With the ACT, students can withhold information, choosing which scores they allow a college to see.
For students, deciding which test to take can be confusing. The good news is, most colleges accept both. Have your child take a few practice exams of both the SAT and the ACT, then choose the one that plays to their strengths. The SAT/ACT competition may be bad for the testing companies, but it’s good for your child.
Do you think the SAT and/or the ACT are standard assessments that truly measure abilities? Why or Why not? Speak on it!
Remember to respond by Monday, Sept 21st @5pm.
Topics: Teen Years (13-19), College Admissions Tests
The SAT has long been a standard rite of passage for high school students across the country, but recently, it’s been feeling some heat from a competitor – the ACT. Over 520,000 students registered to take the October 28 ACT exam, 17 percent more than the previous year.
The ACT is not new: it’s been administered since 1959. In 2005, 1.2 million students took the test. For the current school year (2006-2007), that number is up 11%. In places that the SAT has long reigned supreme, particularly on the East and West coasts, ACT numbers are booming. In New Hampshire, registration is up by 98 percent. Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey have seen their numbers jump by two-thirds since last year. Twice as many students from New York, Connecticut, Georgia, and Florida are taking the ACT this year than did last. And California has seen a 35 percent rise.
Part of that may have to do with the difference between the two tests. About five years ago, the president of the University of California threatened to drop the SAT, if the test wasn’t adjusted to better reflect what the average high school student learns. The SAT got a major revamp last year, but still, critics say that the SAT is more of an aptitude test – examining a student’s facility for language and reasoning. The ACT, on the other hand, is more of an achievement test. Its sections – English, Math, Reading, and Science – measure what a student has learned in school, rather than their powers of deduction.
The new SAT has a required writing section, a boon for some students, and a curse for others. For the ACT, the writing portion is optional. Both tests can be taken as many times as a student wishes, but with the SAT, colleges have access to all their scores. With the ACT, students can withhold information, choosing which scores they allow a college to see.
For students, deciding which test to take can be confusing. The good news is, most colleges accept both. Have your child take a few practice exams of both the SAT and the ACT, then choose the one that plays to their strengths. The SAT/ACT competition may be bad for the testing companies, but it’s good for your child.
Do you think the SAT and/or the ACT are standard assessments that truly measure abilities? Why or Why not? Speak on it!
Remember to respond by Monday, Sept 21st @5pm.
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