Podcasts about fairtest

When Massachusetts voters decided to ditch the state's standardized tests as a high school graduation requirement on Election Day, they joined a trend that has steadily chipped away at the use of high-stakes tests over the past two decades. The vote on the ballot question leaves only seven states with mandated graduation exams, a number that could soon shrink further. A backlash to standardized tests has been fueled by complaints that they take up too much classroom time and questions about how well they measure readiness for college or careers. It has gained steam in recent years with concerns about equity and learning setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Massachusetts, a teachers' union led the campaign against the graduation requirement, arguing it was keeping too many students from receiving a diploma and weighing too heavily on choices about school curriculum. The other side received backing from prominent business leaders including former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and state officials including Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat. "We shouldn't have different expectations for students depending on which zip code they live in," Healey said. "We should have a uniformity to our expectations and they should be high for our students and our families." The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests are given in mathematics, science and technology and English. The ballot question didn't end the tests, which are also used for assessing student progress. But passing them will no longer be required for a diploma. About 1% of high school seniors in Massachusetts, about 700 students, are denied a diploma each year because they failed the MCAS despite meeting other requirements. Most are English language learners or students with disabilities. Harry Feder, executive director of FairTest, which opposes using tests as graduation requirements, said it makes sense to shift away from the tests he calls a "cheap and easy way" to conduct education. "What we want out of high school grads isn't measured very well by a standardized test," he said, including whether students are critical thinkers, problem solvers or able to collaborate. Critics say easing the graduation requirement will result in lower standards. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Host Beth Heaton is so pleased to be welcome Harry Feder, the Executive Director of Fair Test, the organization that has been advocating for test optional admissions for students for many years. Feder will be talking about the organization itself as well as the state of testing in undergraduate admissions today. In addition, seniors will soon be receiving decisions from many colleges if they applied early decision or early action. College Coach admissions consultant Christine Kenyon will discuss how to be intentional when you open your admission decision. It's important to consider how to be kind to others when doing so! Last, did you know that November 18 through the 24th is National Apprenticeship week? College Coach finance expert Jan Combs will be joining Beth to discuss how to earn while you learn through an apprenticeship.

We continue our conversation with Harry Feder of FairTest. This time, we discuss high stakes tests in K-12 schools. Harry explains how tests and the prep for them came to dominate education and the consequences for students, teachers, and schools of high or low scores. He also describes how the same companies dominate textbooks and testing, and suggests some alternatives to high-stakes tests. The post High stakes: Teaching to the tests in K-12 first appeared on Ethical Schools.

We speak with Harry Feder of FairTest, an organization that advocates for fair and open testing, about the reinstitution of standardized test requirements at some "Ivy Plus” colleges, and why it matters. We discuss how testing choices affect inclusion and exclusion in admissions and what most non-"Ivy Plus" schools do. In a follow-up interview with Harry Feder, we will discuss standardized tests in K-12 schools. The post SATs and the illusion of fairness first appeared on Ethical Schools.

Akil Bello, Senior Director of Advocacy at FairTest, joins FYI host Gil Rogers to talk about the labyrinth of standardized testing that faces students and institutions each year. With a wealth of experience that spans over three decades, Akil is able to know how best to advocate for students through the process. As the college application frenzy intensifies, Gil and Akil scrutinize the motivations propelling institutions like Cornell and Yale to bring back testing requirements and how their decisions shape the academic terrain. They also navigate through the thorny issue of college rankings and their influence on perceived university value, prompting a broader discussion on what truly defines success in higher education. For Your Institution Podcast is a production of Mongoose Research. Introduction | 00:00Akil's Journey from Test Prep to Advocacy | 01:06 The Evolution of Akil's 'Why' in Education | 02:23 The Impact of Standardized Testing on Education | 04:36 Revisiting Standardized Tests in College Admissions | 07:40 The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Society | 11:58 Navigating the Complex Landscape of College Admissions | 16:20 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information | 22:35  RELEVANT LINKS:AkilBello.comAkil Bello's LinkedInAkil Bello on Twitter

“Our position is you don't need test scores and that individual schools should develop admissions policies that reflect the type of kids they want to recruit and the mission that they have,” says FairTest's public education director Bob Schaeffer in this week's episode of The Syllabus. Syllabus host Mark Oppenheimer and Bob Schaeffer discuss the evolution of college admissions testing, the recent trend towards test-optional policies, and whether high school records and holistic evaluations are better predictors of college success than standardized tests.  Guest Bio: Schaeffer is the public education director of FairTest and a member of its board of directors. He is the author of Standardized Tests and Teacher Competence and co-authored many FairTest publications, including Sex Bias in College Admissions Tests: How Women Lose Out. He holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from MIT.

Today I sit down with longtime friend, Bob Schaeffer. Bob is an incredible source of knowledge around how the testing landscape has changed in the last several decades and the work that he and his team at FairTest do is invaluable. Tune in to hear about the test optional movement in college admissions and more!Bob Schaeffer is currently the Public Education Director of FairTest, the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, where he has coordinated the organization's university admissions reform program for several decades. He served as the organization's Executive Director or co-Executive Director for five years.Previously, Mr. Schaeffer was the Research Director of the Massachusetts Legislature's Joint Committee on Human Services, Editorial Writer at the NBC-TV affiliate in Boston and talk show host at a regional NPR affiliate. He also worked at the Education Research Center of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was both an undergraduate and graduate student. Bob Schaeffer is a featured contributor to the Teachers College Press book The Scandal of Standardized Tests: Why We Need to Drop the SAT & ACT. He also coauthored many FairTest publications, such as Standing Up to the SAT, Test Scores Do Not Equal Merit, Standardized Tests and Our Children, Implementing Performance Assessments, and The SAT Coaching Cover-Up.Bob is frequently quoted by major media outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, NPR, and CNN as well as trade publications such as Education Week, Education Dive, Inside Higher Education, and Diverse Issues in Higher Education. He has also spoken at many conferences sponsored by the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, Education Writers Association, Higher Education Consultant Association, Independent Education Consultant Association, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, SouthernChristian Leadership Conference, and Southern Education Foundation. Access free resources and learn more about Sheila and her team at Signet Education at signeteducation.com or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilaakbar/.

Come and join us as our agenda focuses on our parents/guardians' questions regarding college and:Test Optional does it matter yes or no?FAFSA changesFSA ID - establishing your parent and student accountsCSS Profile colleges that consider all variables impacting family's access to fundCommon App the application for 1000+ colleges and review on factors used in admissionUniversity of California Cost of AttendanceUniversity of California test free (no SAT or ACT)Cal State University test freeCollege Scorecard a college search engine for all studentsScoir a college search engine for second semester SI Sophomores, Juniors and SeniorsSI College Rep Visits why they are important (all listed on Scoir, on X and SITV)Social Media: IG - @StIgnatiusMagis X - @StIgnatiusMagis YouTube @SI College CounselingPreACT for Sophomores (all regisgtered) on October 11thNew PSAT Digital Exam for Juniors (all registered) on October 11thColleges that meet full needMyinTuition - find your net price from generous collegesScholarship search enginesCareer One StopFastwebGoing MerryRaise.meScholarship OwlSchollyScholarships.comSubscribe to get the informed so you CANT STOP WONT STOP! Learn about Charles Mason from LMU who inspired "CANT STOP WONT STOP!"

In this episode you will hear:   (27:37) Mark and Susan discuss an article that appeared in, “The Chronicle of Higher Ed” entitled, “The Have's and the Have Nots: Higher Ed Is Increasingly Becoming Unequal”. It was written by Robert Kelchen and it appeared in the Chronicle on June 14th, 2023   https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-haves-and-have-nots-of-higher-education?sra=true&cid=gen_sign_in   (01:03:05) Mark and Lisa will answer a Speakpipe question from Ellie from New York. She wants advice on what is the best time to take a gap year.    (01:12:32) We continue our four part interview as Mark interviews Akil Bello on the topic of, “Tough Questions about SAT and ACT test scores”   Preview of Part 2 v Akil gives his backstory, walking us up to what he is doing now v Akil tells us what the mission of Fairtest is and he explains why the mission appeals to him v Akil explains the new Digital SAT; he shares the pros and the cons of the new test v Akil explains his thoughts on whether it is a good thing that the Digital SAT is an adaptive test v Akil explains the problem that he has with the College Board v Akil shares his perspective on schools like MIT and Purdue and Georgetown requiring test scores     (01:26:00) The recommended resource is the immediate Students For Fair Admissions Affirmative Action post-decision analysis webinar by, Jenner and Block,  the leading law firm that the IVY league school's employ to help them to understand what they can and can't do. This webinar is OUTSTANDING and worth 52 minutes of your time to watch it. https://sites-jenner.vuturevx.com/66/3114/landing-pages/access-webinar-recording.asp   (01:39:16) Mark and Lisa discuss her visit in June to McGill University in Montreal. McGill is our College Spotlight for the week. Part 2 of 2   You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our preferred method for you to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. If you have a question for one of our upcoming interviews with admissions professionals, here is a list of admissions professionals who we will interview in 2023 or 2024 Confirmed interviews not yet completed Bard-Mackie Siebens Rice University-Tamara Siler American University-Andrea Felder Pitzer College-Yvonne Berumen Chapman University-Marcela Meija-Martinez Connecticut College-Andy Strickler* Trinity College-Anthony Berry* College of the Atlantic-Heather Albert* Spelman College-Chelsea Holley* Scripps College-Victoria Romero* Saint Louis University-Daniel Wood-(Interview is about transfer admissions, Daniel is a transfer counselor) Colby College-Randi Arsenault* University of Georgia-David Graves* University of Minnesota-Keri Risic Cornell University-Jonathon Burdick Oberlin College-Manuel Carballo Carleton College-Art Rodriguez Swarthmore-Jim Bok Joy St. Johns-Harvard Duke-Christoph Guttentag Florida State-John Barnhill Southern Methodist University-Elena Hicks Johns Hopkins-Calvin Wise Cornell University-Shawn Felton Haverford College-Jess Lord UAspire-Brendan Williams Yale University-Moira Poe Bard College Baylor University Butler University California Institute of Technology-Ashley Pallie Colorado School of Mines Creighton University University of Puget Sound- Robin Aijian   To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup.   Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions:   Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast:   https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast   1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript   We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK.   Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple's search feature so others can find our podcast.   If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful!   If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live.   Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends:   Check out the college websites Mark recommends:   If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link:     If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa or Lynda, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at or Lynda at Lynda@schoolmatch4u.com. All they ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session. Their counseling website is: https://schoolmatch4u.com/

In this episode you will hear:   (02:20) Mark is joined by the Director of Colorado College, Matt Bonser. Matt discussed Early Decision, Demonstrated Interest, and Predictive Modelling. Mark and Matt discuss 17 ways students attempt to demonstrate interest and Matt gives his feedback whether these 17 attempts to demonstrate interest are effective at communicating interest. Matt rates the different options Mark suggests on a 1-10 scale, with the caveat that this is only his opinion. Matt does a great job of communicating the nuance and how there are always exceptions. This final part focuses a little more on predictive modeling. Part 2 of 2   (36:35) Mark and Lisa will answer a Speakpipe question from Kristen from California and she wants advice for a center right student that is hoping to find a college that is not intolerant of her political views.    (56:28) We start a brand new four part interview as Mark interviews Akil Bello on the topic of, “Tough Questions about SAT and ACT test scores” Preview of Part 1 v  Akil gives his backstory, walking us up to what he is doing now v  Akil tells us what the mission of Fairtest is and he explains why the mission appeals to him v  Akil explains the new Digital SAT; he shares the pros and the cons of the new test v  Akil explains his thoughts on whether it is a good thing that the Digital SAT is an adaptive test v  Akil explains the problem that he has with the College Board v  Akil shares his perspective on schools like MIT and Purdue and Georgetown requiring test scores     (01:09:00) The recommended resource is the Common App mobile app, a great way to have access to your application on your phone.   (01:20:58) Mark and Lisa discuss her visit in June to McGill University in Montreal. McGill is our College Spotlight for the week.      You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our preferred method for you to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. If you have a question for one of our upcoming interviews with admissions professionals, here is a list of admissions professionals who we will interview in 2023 or 2024 Confirmed interviews not yet completedBard-Mackie Siebens Rice University-Tamara Siler American University-Andrea Felder Pitzer College-Yvonne Berumen Chapman University-Marcela Meija-Martinez Connecticut College-Andy Strickler* Trinity College-Anthony Berry* College of the Atlantic-Heather Albert* Spelman College-Chelsea Holley* Scripps College-Victoria Romero* Saint Louis University-Daniel Wood-(Interview is about transfer admissions, Daniel is a transfer counselor) Colby College-Randi Arsenault* University of Georgia-David Graves* University of Minnesota-Keri Risic Cornell University-Jonathon Burdick Oberlin College-Manuel Carballo Carleton College-Art Rodriguez Swarthmore-Jim Bok Joy St. Johns-Harvard Duke-Christoph Guttentag Florida State-John Barnhill Southern Methodist University-Elena Hicks Johns Hopkins-Calvin Wise Cornell University-Shawn Felton Haverford College-Jess Lord UAspire-Brendan Williams Yale University-Moira Poe Bard College Baylor University Butler University California Institute of Technology-Ashley Pallie Colorado School of Mines Creighton University University of Puget Sound- Robin Aijian   To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup.   Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions:   Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast:   https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast   1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript   We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK.   Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple's search feature so others can find our podcast.   If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful!   If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live.   Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends:   Check out the college websites Mark recommends:   If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link:     If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa or Lynda, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at or Lynda at Lynda@schoolmatch4u.com. All they ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session. Their counseling website is: https://schoolmatch4u.com/

On June 29, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) made the decision to stop allowing college admissions across the nation to use Affirmative Action. Since 1978, the Supreme Court has upheld the use of affirmative action as one factor for admissions until today even though colleges throughout time have proven time and time again that the use of holistic admissions has many factors not just one. On this day, it is important that we all understand that research and data have shown time and time again that diversity (race, experience, background, and ideas) benefits not one, but ALL.We need to continue to move onward and upward TOGETHER despite the decision. As colleges must follow the law like how the UC's and Cal States did when CA voters voted to ban affirmative action in our public system -- it is imperative for all of us to remind students to still honor the stories of students who have illustrated their passions despite it all, demonstrate their strengths despite it all and rise above despite it all. WE MUST! So everyone can get a fair shot and rise above so we as a nation can rise. Bob Schaeffer, a long-time warrior and advocate for equity took some time to discuss college admissions, testing, affirmative action, and more. He shared his wisdom with us on the ongoing changes in college admissions in this interview. Bob has served as Public Education Director of FairTest, since its founding in 1985, and is a member of its Board of Directors. Previously, he was Editorial Writer at the NBC-TV affiliate in Boston, Research Director of the Massachusetts Legislature's Joint Committee on Human Services and Elderly Affairs, and worked for several years as a research associate at the Education Research Center of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is author of Standardized Tests and Teacher Competence (School Voices, Fall, 1996) and coauthor of Standing Up to the SAT (ARCO/Simon & Schuster, 1989). He has also coauthored many FairTest publications, includingTesting Our Children: A Report Card on State Assessment Systems, Standardized Tests and Our Children: A Guide to Testing Reform, Implementing Performance Assessments, The SAT Coaching Cover-Up, Test Scores Do Not Equal Merit, and Sex Bias in College Admissions Tests: How Women Lose Out.

On June 29, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) made the decision to stop allowing college admissions across the nation to use Affirmative Action. Since 1978, the Supreme Court has upheld the use of affirmative action as one factor for admissions until today even though colleges throughout time have proven time and time again that the use of holistic admissions has many factors not just one. On this day, it is important that we all understand that research and data have shown time and time again that diversity (race, experience, background, and ideas) benefits not one, but ALL.We need to continue to move onward and upward TOGETHER despite the decision. As colleges must follow the law like how the UC's and Cal States did when CA voters voted to ban affirmative action in our public system -- it is imperative for all of us to remind students to still honor the stories of students who have illustrated their passions despite it all, demonstrate their strengths despite it all and rise above despite it all. WE MUST! So everyone can get a fair shot and rise above so we as a nation can rise. Bob Schaeffer, a long-time warrior and advocate for equity took some time to discuss college admissions, testing, affirmative action, and more. He shared his wisdom with us on the ongoing changes in college admissions in this interview. Bob has served as Public Education Director of FairTest, since its founding in 1985, and is a member of its Board of Directors. Previously, he was Editorial Writer at the NBC-TV affiliate in Boston, Research Director of the Massachusetts Legislature's Joint Committee on Human Services and Elderly Affairs, and worked for several years as a research associate at the Education Research Center of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is author of Standardized Tests and Teacher Competence (School Voices, Fall, 1996) and coauthor of Standing Up to the SAT (ARCO/Simon & Schuster, 1989). He has also coauthored many FairTest publications, includingTesting Our Children: A Report Card on State Assessment Systems, Standardized Tests and Our Children: A Guide to Testing Reform, Implementing Performance Assessments, The SAT Coaching Cover-Up, Test Scores Do Not Equal Merit, and Sex Bias in College Admissions Tests: How Women Lose Out.

As their children approach the college process, some families face a uniquely challenging question: does the model minority myth help or hurt their students in college applications? Given the cases before the Supreme Court, the lack of transparency in the admissions process, and differing values around education, this discussion is overshadowed by strong opinions, confusion, and deliberate misinformation. On top of this, recent immigrants and first-generation applicants are particularly impacted by an unfamiliarity with the American way of getting into college, which–let's just say it–is stressful and confusing for everyone, no matter their background.Today's episode is a recording of a panel discussion with renowned experts on admissions reform, standardized testing, race-conscious admissions practices, and Asian American politics. Bios:Akil Bello - Senior Directory of Advocacy and Advancement, FairTest. https://www.linkedin.com/in/akil-bello/Marie Bigham - Founder and Executive Director, ACCEPT. https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-bigham-accept/Suzi Nam - Former Admissions Officer and DEI Expert.https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzi-nam/Professor Janelle Wong - Asian American Studies Program Director, University of Maryland.https://www.linkedin.com/in/janelle-wong-0619a4105/Access free resources and learn more about Sheila and her team at Signet Education at signeteducation.com or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilaakbar/.

Today, I'm joined by Akil Bello, a standardized testing expert and Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at FairTest. We talk about equity issues stemming from standardized testing, why colleges are moving away from standardized testing, and the challenges posed by college ranking lists. Akil leaves us with some practical wisdom on how to avoid the prestige trap and focus on tangible outcomes instead. Additional helpful resources from Akil:https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-reckless-rankings-gamehttps://wordinblack.com/2022/11/why-high-school-students-dont-need-sat-anymore/https://akilbello.com/2020/10/16/dont-believe-the-hype/https://www.forbes.com/sites/akilbello/2022/01/31/the-college-board-announces-the-best-sat-since-the-last-sat/Akil's bio: Akil Bello is an educator, speaker, entrepreneur, and testing expert. Akil has worked at every level of the supplemental education industry, advising universities, launching multiple companies, developing dozens of admissions and test preparation programs, training hundreds of instructors, and helping thousands of students achieve success.Akil was founding partner and CEO for Bell Curves, a test preparation company that focuses on helping public schools, non-profit organizations, and community-based organizations understand admission systems and policies and develop affordable solutions for their students. After leaving his position as Director of Equity and Access for an international test preparation corporation, Akil worked as a consultant, providing institutions with a deeper understanding of how to successfully support underserved students. Akil holds a bachelor's degree from university in Brookly, NY and is currently the Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at Fairtest, working to end misuse and overuse of standardized tests. Follow Akil at https://www.linkedin.com/in/akil-bello/.Access free resources and learn more about Sheila and her team at Signet Education at signeteducation.com or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilaakbar/.

Welcome to the college admissions journey. Join us as we help sophomores and their parents and guardians understand what is up ahead in the college application process. We address some common questions that is heating up the minds of the Class of 2025 high schoolers and their family members. We are joined with college representatives from the Univeristy of California, Santa Barbara, UCSB, and TCU, Texas Christian University to share their years of experience. Gain insight from a public university in California and an out of state private institution to learn how they are similar and different in the college process. Listen, learn and let's go!

Want a college admissions hot topic? Let's talk about the SAT and the ACT. The pandemic may have paused them as admissions requirements, but that was temporary, and many colleges are now evaluating whether or not to bring it back. Now you have to decide what your child should do. Enter our superstar guest for this episode. Akil Bello is THE preeminent testing expert in the country today, bar none. He is the Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at FairTest, where he works to help ensure that standardized tests are fully understood and properly used. He has worked at every level of the supplemental education industry, advising universities, launching multiple companies, developing dozens of admissions and test preparation programs, training hundreds of instructors, and teaching thousands of students. He's also the founding partner and CEO for Bell Curves, a test preparation company that focuses on helping public schools, non-profit organizations, and community-based organizations understand standardized tests and admissions and develop affordable solutions for their students. If there was a picture for “super smart human being” in the dictionary, Akil Bello would have his picture there. Testing is (or thought of as) big deal and Akil is here to set things straight. Learn and enjoy!!!!

In this episode, Akil & I discuss the history & context of the CollegeBoard and how the AP program in particular fits into CollegeBoard's vision for “college ready” admissions, how that very vision is undermined by the emphasis on a 3.5 hour exam in May, and what we could be doing instead to crash the gates and actually improve accessibility & equity in the admissions process in the absence of the Advanced Placement signifier.GUESTSAkil Bello, Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at Fairtest, founding partner and former CEO of Bell Curves, and contributor on test equitability, learning loss, and much moreRESOURCESAkil Bello's websiteDrop the College Board by Chris McNutt See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Let's take an unique moment and listen to the college admissions journey with Mia from the Class of 2023. It is a crazier ride for her grade level - however - this class knows how to endure and with Mia as our guest she will help gives us insight what students need, what they know and what they need to know. Listen and learn! NOTE: Since this podcast was produced - Stanford has decided to continue to be test optional. To obtain a current list go to fairtest.org.

Bob Schaeffer, Executive Director of FairTest, talks about high-stakes standardized tests as barriers to equal opportunity. Fairer college admissions criteria are increasing admissions diversity, but well-funded supporters of high-stakes tests are still resisting replacement of the tests in elementary and secondary schools. Many schools eliminated high-stakes testing during the pandemic, and FairTest supports making high-stakes waivers or repeals permanent.

Some hard decisions is coming really fast for the Class of 2023 and even Class of 2024 regarding college admissions and standardized testing. The key thing is to take ownership of the college process and focus on one's talent and moments that will benefit the students short term, mid-term and long term. Listen to why YOU, THE STUDENT, SHOULD DECIDE!

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a long list of concerns regarding the traditional admissions cycle. While some will fade away once a sense of normalcy returns, others like standardized testing appear to have more staying power. This week on #HigherEdLive host Alice Arredondo sits down with Akil Bello from FairTest and Michael Hunt from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County breakdown the impending Destandardization of Admissions Testing. Watch the episode online: https://bit.ly/3gxF6qj Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter: www.higheredlive.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/higheredlive/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/higheredlive YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/higheredlive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/higheredlive/

Today, we are joined by Akil Bello. Akil is a supplemental education and test preparation expert. He's launched two companies, developed test preparation programs, and trained hundreds of instructors. He was the founding partner and CEO of Bell Curves, a test prep company based on community partnerships, worked for The Princeton Review, and now is the Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at FairTest.Akil and I talk about the advent of "learning loss" after pandemic schooling, the way that testing companies are using this term to generate more tests and test prep software, what was lost in the pandemic, and what we can do as teachers to build back better.GUESTSAkil Bello, Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at Fairtest, founding partner and former CEO of Bell Curves, and contributor on test equitability, learning loss, and much moreRESOURCESHow Test Publishers Are Poised To Profit From Pandemic “Learning Loss” by Akil BelloAkil Bello's websiteFutureEd State Plan TrackingIntroducing "Operation Reverse the Loss" (IES)Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave: How the Testing Industry Manufactured the "Learning Loss" Narrative (HRP) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John Kleeman is joined by assessment luminary, Akil Bello, who is an expert in assessment reform. He currently serves as the Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at FairTest, the National Center for Fair and Open Testing. Akil discusses how he got interested in assessments and talks about his work with admissions tests, whether recruitment tests are fair and his thoughts on what the testing industry should be doing better.

John Kleeman is joined by assessment luminary, Akil Bello, who is an expert in assessment reform. He currently serves as the Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at FairTest, the National Center for Fair and Open Testing. Akil discusses how he got interested in assessments and talks about his work with admissions tests, whether recruitment tests are fair and his thoughts on what the testing industry should be doing better.

FairTest executive director Bob Schaffer joins John Williams to explain why he thinks Illinois should do like other states and remove ACT and SAT score requirements from college admissions.

FairTest executive director Bob Schaffer joins John Williams to explain why he thinks Illinois should do like other states and remove ACT and SAT score requirements from college admissions.

John Stossel- Privacy: Who Needs It, Make America California and 5 Other Stossel Clips John Stossel Privacy: Who Needs It Make America California Woke Colleges vs Testing Unions Invade Private Property The Woke Award Shows One Dose or Two? We Are ALL Essential with Mike Rowe   Privacy: Who Needs It https://youtu.be/BW3Kmw6-huI John Stossel 518K subscribers Edward Snowden tries to convince me to worry more about privacy. "They're trying to shape your behavior!" he warns. I rudely say: "Americans by and large don't care, and I mostly don't care. I figure that teenage boy across the street could be picking up the stuff I send. The cork's out of the bottle. What difference does it make?" Snowden has good answers. ---- Don't miss the weekly video from Stossel TV. Sign up here: https://johnstossel.activehosted.com/f/1​ ---- Google's former CEO once said, creepily: "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place." Snowden points out that we will feel pressured to "constrain our intellectual curiosity, and even frankly, our weirdnesses ... because we could potentially someday be judged on the basis for it." Another scary thing about today's internet is that big tech companies have the power to manipulate. Facebook even did a study that confirmed they could make users angrier by controlling which posts they saw. "This is controlling human behavior by a private company!" Snowden points out. "For what end? Just to see if they could... the next variants... are not going to be just to see if they could. It is going to be for their advantage. It is going to be to shape laws, it is going to be to shape elections.” More of Snowden's points, and my pushback on whether tech companies are really "monopolies", in the video above.   Make America California https://youtu.be/NetJ5LDQ3Dc John Stossel 518K subscribers California is the Biden Administration's role model for America. What are they thinking? The state loses 170,000 people every year. ---- Don't miss the weekly video from Stossel TV. Sign up here: https://johnstossel.activehosted.com/f/1​ ---- "People are just emptying out of California!” says Kristin Tate, who reports on why so many abandon the state: "exorbitant tax rates, the high crime rates, the failing public school systems, the exorbitant cost of living.” Despite these failures, the LA Times writes, Make America California Again? That's Biden's plan. Why would the rest of us want California's problems? Our video above highlights California laws and regulations Biden pushes for, and the California politicians who failed their way into his administration. “If we make America California, we are all going to be paying for it,” concludes Tate.   Woke Colleges vs Testing https://youtu.be/WT-8z-sAx5Y John Stossel 518K subscribers Colleges are ending SAT/ACT tests in the name of diversity, despite research that shows they are good at predicting college success. ---- Don't miss the weekly video from Stossel TV. Sign up here: https://johnstossel.activehosted.com/f/1​ ---- Some schools now won't even look at applicants' test scores. The reason: richer kids may get tutoring, and some minority groups, on average, don't score as well. Bob Schaeffer of the advocacy group FairTest compares test-makers to "the tobacco industry." He's winning his war against testing. More than half of colleges in the country are now test-optional. "The test makers themselves admit that the SAT and ACT are inferior predictors of college performance [to grades]," Schaeffer tells me. But here's the data: high school grades predict 33% of college grades, while tests predict 32%. Not very “inferior!” Using both grades and SATs predicts 42% of college success. A University of California report found that this trend holds across all races and income levels: https://senate.ucsd.edu/media/424154/...​ In other words, tests are useful predictors of college success and failure. Yet university administrators didn't follow the faculty report's recommendations. Why? Diversity and political correctness. "It really is about making these campuses look right,” says Jason Riley of the Wall Street Journal editorial board. "...using them to make your college catalog look more colorful... It's about aesthetics. It's not about learning." I ask: "What's wrong with these schools saying we want a more diverse student body?” “How you achieve it is what I take issue with," Riley says. "There's this assumption. We just get these kids in the door. They'll be fine. They'll do okay. No, they won't! ... they're being set up to fail." To really increase diversity, Riley says, support school choice and charter schools that succeed in preparing disadvantaged kids for college.   Unions Invade Private Property https://youtu.be/CNJjBC_w-oI John Stossel 518K subscribers “If I didn't allow them in, I'm the one going to jail!” rants a farmer after a California law allowed dozens of union activists to storm onto his farm. ---- Don't miss the weekly video from Stossel TV. Sign up here: https://johnstossel.activehosted.com/f/1​ ---- “You don't know if they're mad, if they're going to get violent,” says one employee who was working when the union arrived with flags and bullhorns, “It was a scary situation.” The union wanted the workers to strike. Few were interested. “It is asinine!” says Mike Fahner, the farm's owner. He points out that unions don't have the right to access private property without permission in any other industry. “If they came back every day I would have been paralyzed.” Mike and another business are challenging the law in the Supreme Court. But they lost in two lower courts. California officials argue that unions must be allowed to go onto farms because "workers remain isolated from the flow of information characteristic of modern society.” Mike says that's not true. “Every person has a cell phone in their pocket. [Workers] know how to communicate through Facebook and … Twitter much better than most. “This is trespassing,” he adds, “You should be going to jail for doing this.”     The Woke Award Shows https://youtu.be/yiJFjUk0Zwo John Stossel 518K subscribers Award shows, like the Oscars, are beating themselves up for their history of white supremacy. Future awards will go only to films that meet diversity quotas. "These awards just shouldn't even be seen as legitimate," musician Eric July tells me. "It's supposed to be based on merit. You'd think that's what the awards are for," he adds. ---- Don't miss the weekly video from Stossel TV. Sign up here: https://johnstossel.activehosted.com/f/1​ ---- "If the work is good, it doesn't matter if it's exclusively black people working on it, exclusively white, Asian, none of that should even matter!" Eric July says. I push back: “Award shows historically haven't given out the same number of awards" to blacks. July replies, "it's a thing, but this battle was already fought and won… we're talking as if there's a Klansman behind every single corner--preventing people from being great!” In fact, Black actors have achieved great success in Hollywood. Samuel L. Jackson is America's all time highest grossing actor. What's the harm in diversity quotas? Actor Viggo Mortensen points out that they are "exclusionary" and could keep movies like "1917" from winning awards. The new rules are just one example of awards shows going "woke." The video above has more.   One Dose or Two? https://youtu.be/REnJBfJx17A John Stossel 518K subscribers Government's "experts" botched much of the Covid response. Fortunately other experts -- scientists, economists, and web developers, are helping save lives. ---- Don't miss the weekly video from Stossel TV. Sign up here: https://johnstossel.activehosted.com/f/1​ ---- There have been MANY problems with government's Covid response. Government predictions were way off. State vaccine websites didn't work. Now government holds back vaccine doses, reserving them for 2nd-doses. But they could do more good as first doses. "We have given out more than 20 million second doses," Economics professor Alex Tabarrok points out. "Those could have been first doses.” He helped convince the British government to change to a first-dose-first policy. American experts like Anthony Fauci oppose that, saying they'd need to do long trials to determine if that's okay, and in "the amount of time that it will take ... we will already be in the arena of having enough vaccines to go around anyway." That's the wrong way to think about it, says Tabarrok. "You have to act decisively and you have to act quickly. Bureaucrats are just not used to doing that," he says. "When you have a tiger chasing you in the forest, you don't want to run a randomized controlled trial -- should I run left or should I run right?" England, which took his suggestion, is now beating America in vaccinating the most people. Other non-government experts have stepped in and made things better. One data scientist living with his parents made models that were much better than government's. They became widely used, and government modellers even asked him for advice. One woman became so frustrated by Massachusetts' vaccine website that she built her own, showing people where in the state vaccines were actually available: macovidvaccines.com. Within days, it was getting 400 hits a minute. The video above has more about how a quick change to government experts' vaccine policy could save lives.   We Are ALL Essential with Mike Rowe John Stossel 518K subscribers Mike Rowe tells John Stossel that Covid rules had a huge unintended consequence: They crushed work, sapping meaning from many people's lives. ---- Don't miss the weekly video from Stossel TV. Sign up here: https://johnstossel.activehosted.com/f/1​ ---- Rowe says that lockdowns and business closures meant to save lives also take lives. Domestic violence is up. So are calls to suicide hotlines. Unemployment kills. A National Bureau for Economic Research study finds that "890,000 additional deaths may result over the next 15 years from actions taken to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus." That's one of many unintended consequence from a "safety first” mindset. Rowe's slogan is "safety THIRD”. If safety were really first, he notes, "knock the speed limit down to 10 miles an hour… make cars out of rubber… make everybody wear a helmet, and let's eliminate left turns!" "The goal of living is not to merely stay alive. Cars are a lot safer in the driveway. Ships are a lot safer when they don't leave Harbor, and people are a lot safer during a pandemic when they sit quietly in their basements, waiting for the all clear, but that that's not why cars, ships and people are on the planet!" The above video has more of Rowe's points, including starting with the arrogance of politicians decreeing which workers are "essential."  

Standardized tests consistently overestimate college success for white, wealthy, male students and underestimate everyone else. How did we get here, and how do we fix it? With millions of dollars of financial aid and access to quality college experiences on the line, the answers to these questions are crucial. Hear from FairTest director and former MIT education researcher Bob Schaeffer about the failures of the testing industry, its racist origin story, and the exponential rise of the test-optional movement. Support In Good Society on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ingoodsociety Facts & Figures from FairTest: https://www.fairtest.org/fact%20sheets

The SAT is something that many students stress about—especially if they take the test and don’t get as high of scores as they were hoping. What are some of the options you can consider if you don’t have a high test score (or typically don’t do so well on standardized tests) to still be able to get into your dream school? 1 - First, try test preparation. For example, ePrep and Revolution Prep. You can go to “cooltestprep.com” to find out more about test prep and sign up for it. 2 - Take the ACT. It’s another test, but you can use this instead if you want to try again. 3 - Go to test optional schools, like FairTest.org. Reference links for this episode: http://cooltestprep.com http://fairtest.org/ http://www.act.org/ https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat