Tag: standardized testing

Webinar Highlights New Approaches to Assessment Design

During the Educational Testing Service’s (ETS) virtual webinar on Wednesday, two key issues around standardized testing emerged: time limits and access to tutoring sessions create barriers for students.

April 21, 2021

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ETS Webinar Analyzes Current Standardized Testing Model

Though many colleges and universities have shifted towards test optional admissions, the debate around using standardized testing to measure students’ academic abilities remains. In an effort to reevaluate current assessment models, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) hosted a webinar series on Tuesday titled, “A Different Kind of Thinking.” The two-day convening provides higher education scholars and students the opportunity to share their research and own experiences around standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT.

April 20, 2021

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College Board Changing AP Tests to Accommodate for COVID-19 Pandemic

The College Board will be further changing the Advanced Placement (AP) program to be more flexible, EdSurge reported. Last spring, the College Board redesigned the Advanced Placement (AP) program and exams to account for COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, shortening it and making it open book. Students who attend a school in-person may take the paper-and-pencil AP exam with […]

February 5, 2021

Majority of Americans Want Standardized Testing Requirements Removed

60% of Americans answered in a poll that U.S. higher ed should remove standardized test requirements, Yahoo Finance reported. Despite the majority of respondents saying such requirements should be done away with, 71% answered that they believe standardized testing to be an effective way to evaluate students. The poll – done by Yahoo Finance and […]

February 1, 2021

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Education Experts Advocate for Suspending High-Stakes Testing, Seek Equitable Alternatives

The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) held a virtual town hall this week to urge individuals to sign a petition calling for high-stakes testing to be suspended in spring 2021.

January 27, 2021

Most Alabama Four-Year Schools Go Test-Optional for 2021 Admissions Year

Most of Alabama’s four-year universities are not requiring college admissions test scores for the 2021 school year, many citing the difficulty students had in taking the test last spring, AL.com reported. The University of Alabama announced waiving standardized test score requirements last week, followed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham doing the same on […]

October 13, 2020

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SAT, ACT Scores Still Required for Some Scholarships in Georgia

SAT and ACT scores are optional next year for admission to Georgia public colleges and universities, but are still required for some scholarships, The Athens Banner-Herald reported. A standardized test score is still required for some scholarships, including the state’s Zell Miller scholarship – “the top tier of Georgia’s two-tiered HOPE scholarship program” – which […]

September 14, 2020

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Spelman College Suspends Standardized Test Requirement for Class of 2025 Applicants

Spelman College will not require standardized test scores from students applying for the class of 2025, announced college officials. The decision is in response to barriers that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, including standardized testing cancellations, increased registration demand and safety concerns at testing sites. “COVID-19 has posed unparalleled challenges and disruptions across the […]

August 25, 2020

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Report: Colleges Must Revise Standardized Tests to Foster Equity

A new National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) report calls on colleges and universities to examine and revise their standardized testing policies so that “regardless of location and circumstance, such tests foster equity and access for their applicants.” “This is a year to be as economical as possible in uses of standardized testing,” said […]

August 18, 2020

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Do Test Optional Policies Work? Depends On Who You Ask

Do test optional policies work? Are universities that practice it actually enrolling – and graduating – more low-income students and students of color? Now that some schools have been employing these policies for decades, there’s data to help answer those questions – though higher education leaders continue to debate how conclusive that data is.

March 23, 2020

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Bellarmine University Goes Test Optional

Bellarmine University, a private Catholic liberal arts school in Louisville, Kentucky, will no longer require applicants to submit SAT and ACT scores, WDRB.com reported. The new test optional policy will kick in for students starting in fall 2021. The university will still consider students’ high school grades, extracurricular activities, counselor recommendations, work and leadership experience. […]

February 11, 2020

Photography by AerialState.com

University of California System Faces Civil Rights Lawsuit Over Standardized Testing

The University of California system was hit with a civil rights lawsuit last week over required standardized testing. The plaintiffs – four students, six nonprofits and the Compton Unified School District – accused University of California regents of knowingly putting student of color and students with disabilities at a disadvantage by requiring the SAT or ACT from applicants.

December 19, 2019

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