Scores Drop Slightly on ACT

the first time i took the act i got a low score evryone thinks i'm dumb, i do well in school, gets straights A's but it doesn't make any difference may be i'm smart or not.

wasiu alabi of IL 3:35PM May 23, 2009

Hello,

My first ACT score was a 30 in 10th grade. That score got me accepted into ASMSA, the best high school in Arkansas and one of the best in the nation. My score has since increased to a 31 and got me the best scholarship possible at my college of choice. I worked hard throughout school and maintained a 4.0 GPA for years. My work is reflected in my score and has earned me the right to attend a high school that will allow me to graduate with 53 college credit hours. I'm not some rich kid manipulating the system. My mother lives off of the government and takes in about 14k a year. I previously attended a 1A school in a town with a population of 800. I worked my ass off without any help and earned my rewards. Don't tell me that this system is flawed because my lazy peers don't know basic grammar rules and mathematics.

Scott Treece of AR 6:10PM January 05, 2009

I am sorry but as a student i disagree that the test results point to only the students that misbehave or do not do their work. I have a 3.976 G.P.A. and I currently only have a 20 on the ACT. I do all my work, I get straight A's and I am involved in many leadership activities at my school but the ACT is just a test that I am not good at. I feel rushed and so much pressure I can barely concentrate. The test is not always an accurate way to judge a student. My school's last year valedictoria only had a 22 on her ACT but was a excellant student.

Shelbee Cowart of MO 1:52PM November 03, 2008

As a professor for over 20 years, I have advised hundreds of beginning students, and there is no question that standardized tests like the SAT and ACT are tapping into something useful. Although BJ of WV is correct, it's not a measure of a person's worth, scores are a very good predictor of how someone will do in college. What most people don't seem to realize is that the more scores in the record, the better the prediction. I have analyzed my advisees' scores and college freshman gpa, and if I have 5 scores (the 3 sections of the SAT and 2 subject tests, or the 4 sections of the ACT plus the writing test), I can predict freshman gpa with about 75% accuracy. Interestingly, high school gpa does virtually nothing to improve this prediction. The only thing I've found that improves the prediction is if I have more scores (typically AP scores, because I'm at an Ivy League school). I should also mention that, as an advisor, I try to use test information to guide students toward courses in which they are more prepared to succeed. In other words, I work to reduce the prediction, not enhance it.

Many people object to standardized tests because scores correlate with family income. I must point out that correlation does not imply causation. It's possible that money buys good scores, but it's equally possible that the parents' good scores allowed them to make more money (and pass both to their kids; there is a high correlation between student and parent scores). It's also equally possible that other factors (like parents' level of education) cause both higher family income and higher student scores. Similarly, if having the money for expensive test prep improves scores (a big if), it's possible that test prep improves performance in college. Sorting this out is a very difficult problem that requires more data than I have available (and possibly more than ANYONE has available).

The bottom line is that, whatever the source of differenes in scores, the purpose of testing is to identify students who are in the best position to take advantage of what higher education has to offer. Standardized tests are doing so better than many people realize.

Prof&mom of NH 7:25AM August 30, 2008