Just when you think you've seen it all

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

The educational standard of measure has been the SAT scores. SAT scores had been steady for many years before 1963. From 1963 they rapidly declined for 18 consecutive years, even though the same test had been used since 1941.

You just can't make this sh*t up.

Except that somebody DID. This statement, quoted over and over and over, is a lie. If "the same test" was used year after year, cheating would be rampant. The test changed every year, including a drastic change in format in 1946, changes in timing and procedure in 1958, and more drastic changes in both questions, timing, and content in 1975. There are numerous studies on this (and if you are as educated as you claim, then these studies would have been readily available to you).

First - the educational standard of measure is NOT the SAT. The test is meant to predict the aptitude of a student - defined (by them) as the ability for an incoming student to complete college. It's historical predictive powers have been quantitatively invalid. High School grades alone have been a much more accurate predictor of whether the student will complete college. The ACT is 2nd. Demographics and income levels are a worse predictor than the ACT, but better than the SAT by orders of magnitude. Random selection comes in slightly BETTER than the SAT.

Second - in the 1950's and 60's, the taking of the SAT was not standard practice by the masses. It was traditionally taken only by students who already expected to excel - those students that were headed to college. An extreme minority of the population. Average scores decreased for almost 20 years as the test began being administered to more students - and not just the top students. Over those years, as well, the students to whom it was administered grew younger (it was initially only given to exiting seniors), until we reached today's "standard" of almost every high school junior taking the test.