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SAT to Add ‘Adversity Score’ That Rates Students’ Hardships

nytimes.com

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Re: SAT to Add ‘Adversity Score’ That Rates Students’ Hardships

#111

Post by aqme28 »

Glyptodon wrote: post #18

This seems likely to end up being ugly. For example wealthy people could buy or rent addresses in "adverse" neighborhoods, or charter schools might locate offices there, in order to attempt to improve scores on this metric. At the same time this won't be able to identify many adverse life circumstances like abusive parents, cancer, etc. What it does do is outsource components of admissions decisions the colleges may…

That doesn't seem so terrible. More schools and property taxes in poor neighborhoods is an okay outcome as far as they go.

Re: SAT to Add ‘Adversity Score’ That Rates Students’ Hardships

#112

Post by BooneJS »

Glyptodon wrote: post #18

This seems likely to end up being ugly. For example wealthy people could buy or rent addresses in "adverse" neighborhoods, or charter schools might locate offices there, in order to attempt to improve scores on this metric. At the same time this won't be able to identify many adverse life circumstances like abusive parents, cancer, etc. What it does do is outsource components of admissions decisions the colleges may…

There’s tales of Bay Area families renting and moving their HS juniors and seniors to the Central Valley where UC accepts a higher percentage from.

Re: SAT to Add ‘Adversity Score’ That Rates Students’ Hardships

#113

Post by baronswindle »

logicx24 wrote: post #82
pjscott wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Imagine a perfect SAT that preparation can't affect; for the purposes of the hypothetical, the test just stares into your soul and measures pure scholastic aptitude. If (a) scholastic aptitude has a significant effect on your lifetime income, (b) people tend to marry people of similar social and economic class, and (c) scholastic aptitude is fairly heritable (through genes, environment, whatever)... ... then you woul…

I mentioned this below, but if the test is a perfect predictor of future success, then the people that perform well on it are absolutely worthy of college admissions, and there should be no further analysis required. If the test is perfect, then the characteristics of the people that do well on that test don't matter. The reason we need to do implement equalizers like this is because such a test is impossible.

This argument seems rather like question begging.

Re: SAT to Add ‘Adversity Score’ That Rates Students’ Hardships

#115

Post by threatofrain »

jeffdavis wrote: post #23
dsfyu404ed wrote: post #4

What does this do that knowing where the student went to school and how much their parents make (both things that colleges know) doesn't? It seems like yet another opaque metric to be gamed by the people with the resources to spend optimizing for those sort of things.

"Level the playing field" is an over-used and under-defined expression. Do you level the playing field before you start or in the middle of the game? What is the purpose of college admissions -- to award a select few or to match students with colleges where they are most likely to succeed?

The goal of admissions is to accept students who enrich their college in one way or another.

Re: SAT to Add ‘Adversity Score’ That Rates Students’ Hardships

#116

Post by fjsolwmv »

SamReidHughes wrote: post #68
lallysingh wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correlation between two factors doesn't tell you how to compare two sets of values. Kids who have to work after school until bedtime won't get as good grades in HS, but if no longer made to do so, may perform substantially better in college.

That's what the SAT is there for. Ability, not grades. If that doesn't cut it, add a third component that is a pure IQ test.

It's supposedly a aptitude test. Not a ability test

Re: SAT to Add ‘Adversity Score’ That Rates Students’ Hardships

#118

Post by borkt »

BooneJS wrote: post #114

Did I miss seeing anything where they factor in kids with anxiety or other mental issues that make school overly challenging?

They have disability accommodations for that (which are abused by the wealthy apparently). I learned from the recent scandal news.

Re: SAT to Add ‘Adversity Score’ That Rates Students’ Hardships

#119

Post by fjsolwmv »

babyslothzoo wrote: post #70

The only way to be truly fair with admissions is to admit blind of any defacto discriminatory identity/categorization method and based entirely on competency and scores. I realize that is unpopular for a variety of reasons, but are elite academic institutions meant to be elite academic institutions, or are they social engineering laboratories?

They are meant to educate students for success in the world, and success for the world. Of course they are social engineering laboratories; that's in their charters.

They are schools, not prize contests.

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