1. Under the current system a college or university allows some other
organization to design their entrance requirements. They leave it up to
the SAT, ACT, high school teachers, etc. and try to fit the resulting
mish-mash of numbers into something that (which?) they can use to make a
judgment. It seems to me that it should be the "buyer" (read accepting
college or business) that sets the test criteria for entrance. Different
colleges have different philosophies. So why not do away with the SAT
and ACT (politically and economically suicide) and let each admitting
school generate their own test. Oh sure there would be logistical
problems but at least they might be establishing realistic criteria for
entrance.
2. I know I will be castigated for this (all ready have) but I encourage
my students to get a B in at least one subject in both high school and
college. That way they can forget the striving for a 4.0 and start to
enjoy their educational experience. That way they are (hopefully) taking
the course for the content and not the grade. There was a saying,
written on the wall of Bunny's Restaurant in downtown San Francisco
(Bunny's is long gone).
As you wander on through life brother
What ever be your goal
Keep your eye upon the doughnut
And not upon the hole.
Read learning for doughnut and grades for hole.
3. Finally. Ponder the irony of this.
a. As soon as a student gets accepting to a University no one ever
inquires about his/her elementary, middle school, and/or high school
grades again. 12 years of stress, being grounded for bringing home a
"C". Beatings, etc. All now useless and senseless.
b. As soon as a student gets accepted either into Grad School or
employed no one ever inquires about his/her college grades again. 4 to 8
years of stress, near suicide, etc. All now useless and senseless.
c. Never in the history of man has a GPA, SAT score, or ACT score
been mentioned in an obituary or on a grave stone.
So just what is the measure of a man/woman and how much self worth,
stress, angst, psychological damage is down in the name of EVALUATION?
Rambling Ray
--
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep
And I have no more papers in a heap
And in the morning I can sleep
And stroll in those woods so dark and deep.
r. frosted