The Seriousness of Aligning the SAT to Common Core
There are two very serious issues surrounding the Common Core and the SAT. The SAT is the test students must conquer to get into many colleges. There is a reason David “nobody gives an expletive what you think or feel” Coleman, a central figure involved in the development of the Common Core, is now President of the College Board. He is aligning the Common Core to the SAT. If a student wants to get into a particular college they will likely need the Common Core State Standards.
It is also serious that by aligning the SAT to the Common Core, we will never get a picture whether students are doing better in school than they did before the Common Core. You can’t compare the new SAT, with the old SAT, if the new SAT is all about Common Core, so there is no way to show that the Common Core State Standards lack credibility. This is pretty tricky if you ask me. I wrote about it once before when Coleman first came out talking about changes. HERE.
There are all kinds of serious questions about the importance of the SAT without considering the Common Core. The College Board is not-for-profit and it is easy to wonder why. A lot of money is made on, not only the SAT, but Advanced Placement (AP) with its series of class preps and tests. But aligning everything a student does in school to the SAT seems particularly troubling.
In addition, if you like the idea of a college entrance test, it is important to note that students have been doing well on the SAT for a number of years. Most Ivy League schools have to turn away very capable students who have proven themselves on the SAT. Why Coleman needs to change the SAT, making it simpler, or making it more difficult, should raise further questions. I am not saying I like the SAT. I, quite frankly, have mixed feelings about the test itself. But that’s for another post maybe.
The point here is that they are making the test so you cannot escape the Common Core no matter where you go to school.
And, parents who think they can dip into their savings and flee public schools to avoid Common Core will probably be disappointed. Both private and parochial schools will The Seriousness of Aligning the SAT to Common Core: