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Standardized Tests and Grade Point Averages

Standardized Tests and Grade Point Averages . Cornerstone Christian School Fall 2011. Why We’re Here: . Carol Tipton, meeting in April 2010: “We have to begin seriously and intentionally addressing the end result.” Jim Collins:

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Standardized Tests and Grade Point Averages

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  1. Standardized Tests andGrade Point Averages Cornerstone Christian School Fall 2011

  2. Why We’re Here: • Carol Tipton, meeting in April 2010: • “We have to begin seriously and intentionally addressing the end result.” • Jim Collins: • “You absolutely cannot begin a series of good decisions until you have faced the brutal facts. • We are a college prep school. • Standardized tests are still tied to collegiate admissions, for good or for ill.

  3. Standardized Tests • “administered and scored in a consistent manner.” • Basically, this means scored by machine. • “Norm-referenced.” • ACT: Not technically. • SATs (K,1,2,4,6,8): Absolutely. • This means that the test will be “curved” such that exactly half of the students will appear above / below average. • Percentiles. (75% means the student was the 25th-brightest in a room of 100 on that test)

  4. SAT / OLSAT 2011

  5. Shelby County System 2011 SAT

  6. Benefits(as I see them) • In an ideal situation, standardized tests are: • Efficient • Thorough • Conveniently communicated • Effective • Predictive

  7. Criticisms of Standardized Tests: (from fairtest.org) • Forces schools to “teach to the test” • Any single test can only measure a small part of a student’s skill set. • Overemphasis on memorization and routine procedures • Teachers may devalue thinking and applying knowledge • Lowers academic expectations by teaching students that their position is fixed.

  8. What’s Changing • The ACT has now added an optional writing section (which is required by many colleges) • Over 840 4-year colleges have now abandoned the ACT to some degree as an acceptance criteria • Now, in an effort to be clearer, the ACT has commissioned the idea of “benchmarks” • English 18 / Math 22 / Reading 21 / Science 24

  9. CCS ACT Performance (Last 6 Classes)

  10. Further Explanation

  11. Variables for ACT scores • Student Plans: • Many non-collegiate students take the ACT one time because they’re pushed to, and score poorly. Or students take it once, breath a sigh, and never attempt to raise their score • Student preparation: • Many students fail to understand how the test works and how to adequately prepare. Additionally, many students don’t worry about the ACT until • Student ability • This is a legitimate variable, whether we admit it or not.

  12. My primary concern • Let me remind you of the graph of the CCS ACT scores for the last 6 classes: • Notice the shape of the graph: bell curve

  13. Graph of CCS student GPAs

  14. Did you see it? • PRACTICALLY EVERYBODY makes nothing but As and Bs. • We have to decide if this is a problem. • If not, we don’t change anything. • If so, we begin discussing steps.

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