SAT scores from May 3rd’s test date were released on Thursday; opening the door for a flurry of opinions and important questions to fill the air. Is standardized testing truly a test of raw intelligence or rather who paid for the best tutor? How do test scores even come close to representing the drive in a student? Should they be trusted as factors in the college acceptance process?

Junior Olivia Waresk complains that “you shouldn’t be judged by a four digit number on whether you fit into a school or not.”
Mr. Braine, Madison physics teacher adds that “the current SAT in most formats is designed for students to recognize certain specific SAT problems and solve with SAT skills. The test really doesn’t show conceptual knowledge.”

As Junior Geoff Schiller puts it, “the SAT is a test of how well you can take the SAT, not a test of intelligence.”

But with every argument, there is an opposing position. English teacher Mr. Ellrott takes a unique stand. “First of all, sure, the SAT is not a measure of a student’s full ability. The other thing I would say is I don’t think the SAT is an intelligence test either. It’s a skills test. These skills, like reading, are skills that a student develops over their entire life. You can’t throw tutoring at a student to fix a problem like reading if a certain set of base skills isn’t already there,” explains the seven year Madison English and AP literature teacher. “It’s a problem that students don’t see the connection between the SAT or ACT and the classroom because the skills transfer over. Sometimes I feel like kids don’t want to see the connection because they would rather use it as an excuse to avoid responsibility for their performance because in the end, it’s really just practice. Reading, writing, and math are all skills that are practiced at school just like we practice the certain skills for a sport.”

Answer the poll below and let us know what you think.

Does the SAT accurately reflect your intelligence?

• It may be an accurate reflection, but it shouldn't dictate which college I can go to. (38%, 5 Votes)
• No, it only reflects how prepared you are to apply SAT strategies. (38%, 5 Votes)
• Yes, it is a good measure for determining intelligence. (23%, 3 Votes)
• No, it only reflects your economic status. (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 13

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