Evaluates the change in student characteristics and the effectiveness of the abolition of SAT scores as an admission requirement. (HS)

Admissions practices no longer can be determined solely by test results and prediction procedures; instead separate preadmissions indices for black and white students must be developed. (IR)

Since 1973, the types of questions used on the Scholastic Aptitude Test have been periodically appraised for their appropriateness for different groups. The procedures used in the test development process to ensure appropriateness and approaches used in the statistical analysis to evaluate test fairness are described. (MLW)

The policy of making submission of SAT scores optional has little merit and no coherence. If colleges begin to rely on achievement tests, the advantage will shift to upper income students with access to better secondary education, to coaches, and test preparation centers. (MLW)

Test validity, coaching, the college admissions process, and achievement tests are discussed by the director of the Iowa Testing Programs. Data published on the SAT are examined. It is suggested that systematic instruction in problem-solving skills may improve not only test performance but also skills the test is designed to assess. (Author/MLW)

The process by which the new Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and achievement tests were developed is outlined, highlighting the evolution of new formats and emphases. It is proposed that the tests, which incorporate extensive changes, encourage genuine learning and respond to increasing cultural diversity in the population. (MSE)

The Johns Hopkins University program to identify prodigies in mathematics is reviewed. The Advanced Placement Program of the College Board is seen as a means for intellectually highly able youths to move ahead fast in a greatly enriched fashion and earn college credit. (MLW)

The initial effort in applying the SAT-M to young Chinese students revealed that many of them reason extraordinarily well mathematically before age 13 and before having covered the bulk of the high-school mathematics curriculum. The conclusion seems to be that they must have keen analytical ability. (MLW)

A parent's perspective on testing and the U.S. educational system and on how today's society values quality and achievement is presented. Uninformed parental expectation and less informed, less dedicated, and less imaginative teaching are seen as resulting in diplomas awarded for attendance, automatic passing of students, and deterioration of…