Is the College Board Racist?

[Mikey]

They seem to be hinting at something here...

[Left Seater]

Yeah, Asians dominate.

Jessie would say that the test is biased against blacks. Watts would say that blacks need to step up and take responsibility.

[socal]

The dip in scores is indicative of a new test. There are also more kids taking the test. In time the scores will rise.

[trev]

Parent involvement.

Parent expectation.

Student accountability.

That is all.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Parent involvement.

Parent expectation.

Student accountability.

That is all.

There's a little more to it than that.

Thinking back to when I took the SAT (1981 -- before some of the people on this board were even born), I scored a 1320 overall. Back then there were only two scored sections -- math and verbal -- and that was before the rampant scoring inflation began. At that time, a 1320 was good enough to place me in the top 2% nationally.

What was the difference maker for me? I certainly didn't take any prep course per se, such as Kaplan. But I did have one teacher who constantly drilled us with SAT-type questions for a significant portion of my junior year in high school. When it came time to take the test, I was well-prepared, no surprises, and I didn't panic.

In fairness, I should point out that I've always been a pretty good standardized-test taker. A few years later, I took the LSAT (a significant weeder in the law school admissions process) and scored a 48, which was a perfect score on that test at the time. Again, no formalized prep course for me, I just bought a book with sample LSAT's and worked those exams out of the book.

Going back to the SAT's, I went to a Catholic high school, so the points you mentioned were beyond dispute in my case. I was just pointing out that there's a little more to it than that.

[RadioFan]

Outside of the "College Board" either taking a collective public relations bath, or being recognized at their collective Rotary Club and Junior League meetings ... SAT scores always have, and always will, mean exactly jack shit, in the long run.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Outside of the "College Board" either taking a collective public relations bath, or being recognized at their collective Rotary Club and Junior League meetings ... SAT scores always have, and always will, mean exactly jack shit, in the long run.

They do mean a pretty significant amount when it comes to being admitted to certain colleges and universities. I'll grant that they're not exactly reliable predictors of how a student will do at said college/university once admitted, though.

[RadioFan]

in the long run

[Goober McTuber]

They seem to be hinting at something here...

Interesting that the graph displays the range 400 to 600, rather than 0 to 600. That makes the differences seem more pronounced.

[poptart]

SAT scores always have, and always will, mean exactly jack shit, in the long run.

Exactly!

At the end of the day, the slants will still dry clean my clothes, the jiggs will still run, jump and amuse me on Sundays, and whitey will still win most of the Jeopardy games.

[poptart]

Hey the asian, get the hell down here and turn my heart into a Timex?

[Mikey]

in the long run

I used to hurry a lot, I used to worry a lot
I used to stay out till the break of day
Oh, that didnt get it,
It was high time I quit it
I just couldnt carry on that way
Oh, I did some damage, I know its true
Didnt know I was so lonely , till I found you
You can go the distance
Well find out in the long run
(in the long run)
We can handle some resistance
If our love is a strong one (is a strong one)
People talkin about is
They got nothin else to do
When it all comes down we will
Still come through
In the long run
Ooh, I want to tell you, its a long run
You know I dont understand why you dont
Treat yourself better
Do the crazy things that you do
cause all the debutantes in houston, baby,
Couldnt hold a candle to you
Did you do it for love?
Did you do it for money?
Did you do it for spite?
Did you think you had to, honey?
Who is gonna make it?
Well find out in the long run
(in the long run)
I know we can take it
If our love is a strong one
(is a strong one)
Well, were scared, but we aint shakin
Kinda bent, but we aint breakin
In the long run
Ooh, I want to tell you, its a long run
In the long run
In the long run, etc...

[Mikey]

They seem to be hinting at something here...

Interesting that the graph displays the range 400 to 600, rather than 0 to 600. That makes the differences seem more pronounced.

The minimumn score you can get, i.e. fill out your name correctly and turn it in, is 200. So 425 on a 200 to 800 point scale is actually equivalent to 225 on a 0 to 600 point scale.

I don't know if the reported score is a linear reflection of the number of correct answers, but even if you guessed on all of the multiple choice questions you'd average 25% correct.

[Derron]

I went to a Catholic high school,

So how was it sucking off the priest in the confessional and taking it up the ass in the bowels of the church ??

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

So how was it sucking off the priest in the confessional and taking it up the ass in the bowels of the church ??

Leave it to Derron to be the only one curious about such a thing.

[Derron]

So how was it sucking off the priest in the confessional and taking it up the ass in the bowels of the church ??

Leave it to Derron to be the only one curious about such a thing.

Not at all... it just seems that Terry being one of the more intelligent posters on here seems to have suffered no ill effects from the buggery imposed on young Catholic male youth by their priests, makes me wonder where the need for the HUGE lawsuit settlements really is.

[Goober McTuber]

They seem to be hinting at something here...

Interesting that the graph displays the range 400 to 600, rather than 0 to 600. That makes the differences seem more pronounced.

The minimumn score you can get, i.e. fill out your name correctly and turn it in, is 200. So 425 on a 200 to 800 point scale is actually equivalent to 225 on a 0 to 600 point scale.

Yes, but if they showed the range 0 to 600 it would appear that the whites were roughly 25 % ahead of the blacks. That graph (at first glance) makes it appear that the whites scored 400% ahead of the blacks.

Does that 200 points for filling in your name correctly all go to the writing score?

[the_ouskull]

Facts aren't racist. They're simply facts. If you want to blame a system, blame the inner-city Cycle of Hopelessness. Blame a culture that tells our poor that they're always going to be second-class citizens. Drastic measures have to be taken in drastic situations. Our society puts such an onus on being beautiful, and rich, and happy.. that the people who aren't well-off, etc.. are misfits from the beginning. Kids don't tease up, they tease down. It starts early. When kids who weren't smart, and didn't care, have their own children; usually before they are even adults themselves, it stands to reason that those children won't be too terribly smart. It also stands to reason that they won't have a lot of support from home in regards to caring about their studies. When all of that gets heaped into the middle of a street culture that's allowed kids who can't be mainstream "popular" to still be respected, it is a recipe for generational poverty, ignorance, and failure, in every measurable area.

As a teacher, I see quite a bit of the educational side of things. As a sociologist, I study it. It isn't necessarily black, or white, or whatever... It's a Poor thing more than it is a Black thing. But, since a disproportionate number of blacks are also beneath the poverty line, the differences don't show up well on tests.

It's allllll about the support that they get at home. Sure, genetics plays a role. Sure, environment plays a (small) role. But, over everything else, if they're pushed, and watched; monitored, and if it is emphasized from Day One, that doing well in school is very, very important; no matter what else you do... then ALL children have the potential to do well in school. For some, it's just easier NOT to... It's easier to take advantage of the well-built-in excuse of, "The Man is out ta get me." Failure, especially when done in dramatic fashion, builds street cred.

...and you wonder why our country is falling the f*ck apart...

the_ouskull

[smackaholic]

The problem is the test is rigged to white or asian subjects.

Notice they don't have scores for keepin it rill.

Why no vertical leap category?

Racist bitches.