Ready for your pre-Pre SAT?
College Board, which administers the SAT and PSAT, recently announced that it will introduce a new standardized test for eighth graders. The two-hour "ReadiStep" Test will ask students multiple-choice questions on reading, math and writing.
This is one test too many.
Not only will ReadiStep waste time and resources, but it could also provide further incentives for schools to "teach to the test."
The organization claims it's only trying to better prepare students for the rigors of high school and college. It doesn't hurt that the test will help this "non-profit" increase its market share of students on track to a college degree.
Indeed, College Board's move could actually end up hurting the American educational system in the long run, by burdening middle schools and students with another round of costly standardized tests.
Many states already have their eighth graders take local standardized tests to measure educational performance, and No Child Left Behind also places assessment mandates on public schools.
In its defense, ReadiStep is a voluntary test. The only problem is that the PSAT is "voluntary" too, but many high-school students feel pressured to take it.
Although it's flawed, the SAT is a necessary evil in the college admissions process.
ReadiStep is just evil, period.
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