As I write this post, my eighth-grade daughter is taking her SSAT tests.  I’m not so naive as to think anything of consequence about her future depends on this test.  But I did spend time working with her in test preparation, so I’ve had a chance to understand, both from the coach and the student perspective, what these tests are all about.  And I think we’d be better off if these tests just disappeared. 

The first thing you notice about the SSAT is the focus on vocabulary.  I found many words that seemed abstruse to the point of obfuscation :-).  The synonyms and verbal analogies had a high percentage of problems laden with ambiguity.  Even my thirteen-year-old daughter would say, “But this word has two different meanings, and depending on which one you assume, a different answer is correct.”  She was right, and it only underscores the simpleton nature of the test. 

The vocabulary on this test is a clear case of confusing correlation with causality.  The more a child reads, and the better educated his/her parents, the broader the vocabulary.  Testing eighth graders on words that 95% of adults never use seems laughable, but it’s happening as I type this.

On the reading comprehension, it really pays to read the questions first before answering.  So many are tied to a particular sentence, or even a specific word.  Almost none reflect, in any significant way, real comprehension.

The math questions are non-thought-provoking.  My advice to my daughter is to underline words in the question that are “gotcha” words.  “Billy knew 14 of 50 obscure vocabulary words.  What percentage of words did Billy not know?” 

And the written section is hard to take seriously once you realize that the graders are often amateurs, paid bonuses for exceeding hourly targets.  Some even feel they don’t need to read the words to assign a score to an essay -- they just know from the “look” how good the essay is.

Where the value of these tests falls apart is that preparation really does matter.  A kid with has parents who insist that they practice, or hire an expensive tutor, will see marked improvement in performance.

But worse, the nature of these questions is so low-level, they show nothing about a student’s ability to think critically, analyze, create, or solve complex, challenging problems.  Let alone gauge skills like perseverance or determination.  And by directing so much focus on these tests, adults (parents, educators, college admissions officers) are sending the exact wrong message to our youth -- your future hinges on memorization, not innovation, on arbitrating inconsequential detail, not solving complex and challenging problems.

I think the sooner that all colleges and high schools decree that they aren’t interested in SAT’s, the better.  Tests like the Collegiate Learning Assessment are far more revealing.  And having students submit digital portfolios would bring advantages to everyone involved in the admission process.  Imagine a college that announced, “While you can submit SAT scores, we don’t encourage you to take such tests.  We’d far prefer that you spend time on a self-initiated project -- in fields ranging from science, to business, to art, to community service -- and tell us what you did.”  Whoa!  Imagine what kind of impact that would have on many kids’ high school experience, as well as life trajectory.

So, today at noon, my daughter will be done with her SSAT.  And, thankfully, we can get back to educational challenges that will help her in the 21st Century.