idnib Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Widely popular online learning platform Khan Academy closed a rare exclusive partnership with the College Board to bring free test prep software to the masses. As the College Board overhauls the panic-inducing SAT admissions exam, it’ll be giving Khan Academy access to actual test questions in the hopes of creating a sophisticated learning program aimed at test prep otherwise reserved to wealthier students. http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/05/khan-academy-gets-major-partnership-to-close-rich-advantage-in-college-test-prep/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Interesting. :001_rolleyes: (Eye roll is for the partnership, not your post!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara H Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 The test prep is free and accessible to all. To me that seems like a positive thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I think it's a nice move towards a slightly more even playing field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 KA already has SAT prep for the current test (SAT blue book questions). I imagine they will use Kahn as a testing ground for new types of questions, getting feedback they could not otherwise obtain until actual testing starts. That is a positive. So is access to prep materials for anyone. CB will figure out a way to make more money from this, but I haven't figured it out yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara H Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 CB will figure out a way to make more money from this, but I haven't figured it out yet. While I will never underestimate their ability to find a way to monetize everything... With this one, I think it is more subtle and indirect. Perhaps because the SAT was viewed as more coachable and benefiting rich students that leads to less credibility for the test with the all important school districts and state legislatures that are making long term testing commitments. The SAT has really been losing out on this versus the ACT and that's big bucks. If there are really good and free test prep materials available that increases the chance the SAT will be the test of choice (which leads to exam fees, fees for sending scores, fees for cancelling scores, fees for archiving scores, fees for sending scores faster, fees to register by phone, fees to register late, fees to get on the wait list for registration, fees for seeing the answers from the test, etc. etc. etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 While I will never underestimate their ability to find a way to monetize everything... With this one, I think it is more subtle and indirect. Perhaps because the SAT was viewed as more coachable and benefiting rich students that leads to less credibility for the test with the all important school districts and state legislatures that are making long term testing commitments. The SAT has really been losing out on this versus the ACT and that's big bucks. If there are really good and free test prep materials available that increases the chance the SAT will be the test of choice (which leads to exam fees, fees for sending scores, fees for cancelling scores, fees for archiving scores, fees for sending scores faster, fees to register by phone, fees to register late, fees to get on the wait list for registration, fees for seeing the answers from the test, etc. etc. etc.) :iagree: Plus it may encourage more states to adopt the SAT, rather than the ACT, for end-of-year testing, since access to free test prep for all students could help improve scores statewide. I wouldn't be surprised if ACT responds by developing their own free online prep site. On a related note, did anyone else read the recent article, Meet the SAT Tutor to the 1%, about the guy in NYC who charges up to $650/hr and claims to have raised scores an average of 430 points? :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 If there are really good and free test prep materials available that increases the chance the SAT will be the test of choice There have been free/low cost SAT prep materials available for years (decades?) Khan is nothing more than an animated book. If a child can't muster the self-discipline to prep with an SAT book, he won't with Khan either. I don't see how this will change the "test of choice". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara H Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 There have been free/low cost SAT prep materials available for years (decades?) Khan is nothing more than an animated book. If a child can't muster the self-discipline to prep with an SAT book, he won't with Khan either. I don't see how this will change the "test of choice". I'm not talking about self-disciplined students who are self studying for tests - I agree they can do better with an SAT prep book and you can get it for free at the library. The core issue is that there are big state and public school district contracts. Not just for the ACT and SAT but for the tests that come before the ACT and SAT. The ACT now has an annual testing product. Testing takes on even more importance with the Common Core. If districts feel there is free and effective test prep available that's another marketing angle for the test. SAT may be fighting a losing battle here because ACT has greater market share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I'm not talking about self-disciplined students who are self studying for tests - I agree they can do better with an SAT prep book and you can get it for free at the library. The core issue is that there are big state and public school district contracts. Not just for the ACT and SAT but for the tests that come before the ACT and SAT. The ACT now has an annual testing product. Testing takes on even more importance with the Common Core. If districts feel there is free and effective test prep available that's another marketing angle for the test. SAT may be fighting a losing battle here because ACT has greater market share. :iagree: It is easier for public schools to have an allocated time slot on the timetable for the students to go to the computer lab for SAT prep as they now do for ALEKS than it is for the schools to ensure the kids flip a SAT prep book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilliums Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 There have been free/low cost SAT prep materials available for years (decades?) Khan is nothing more than an animated book. If a child can't muster the self-discipline to prep with an SAT book, he won't with Khan either. I don't see how this will change the "test of choice". The online format will make it easier for schools to support SAT prep. DS's high school has one outdated sat prep book. The local library only carries a couple of copies. The school does have a computer lab with over 30 computers though. Online, comprehensive, test prep materials will make it much easier for teachers (or student groups for that matter) to organize a test prep session. Some kids work better with an "animated book" and it not necessarily tied to self discipline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elisabet1 Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I don't like the current SAT. I think the older old SAT is better. I am unsure if the new SAT will be any better. The fact that tons of test prep can improve one's score by so much is a bad thing. The test should be more generic, rather than something one can "teach to." Frankly, I am sick and tired of the College Board. They have created an extreme test prep environment for the entire high school years. Public schools no longer offer any sort of honors courses..it is all just AP. And the AP classes are just test prep. And test prep does not prepare a person for college or life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 The fact that tons of test prep can improve one's score by so much is a bad thing. I have yet to see a test, any test at all, where one's score cannot be improved by test prep, from IQ tests to driver's tests to regular class tests to the APRT to the SAT. I don't think this is a bad thing. I would expect that those who work hardest/study more/ practice more, etc should score better. Anything else would be unfair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I don't like the current SAT. I think the older old SAT is better. I am unsure if the new SAT will be any better. The fact that tons of test prep can improve one's score by so much is a bad thing. The test should be more generic, rather than something one can "teach to." Frankly, I am sick and tired of the College Board. They have created an extreme test prep environment for the entire high school years. Public schools no longer offer any sort of honors courses..it is all just AP. And the AP classes are just test prep. And test prep does not prepare a person for college or life. This may be true at your high school, but it isn't true where I teach or where my kids go to school. We still offer accelerated and honors level classes. We don't teach our AP classes as test prep classes. College Board is a private entity. You really don't have to have anything to do with them if you choose not to. You can use the ACT instead of the SAT or attend a college that doesn't require these tests. You can apply to colleges that don't require SAT II's. You don't have to take AP exams. All of that is optional. Yes, some (most?) colleges require these things, but you don't have to go to college. College Board has just positioned itself well. The colleges requiring all of this stuff is what has created the whole high school test prep environment. All it would take to bring down the College Board is for colleges to quit using this information. However, colleges must find it useful in some way, or they wouldn't require it. College Board listens to what colleges say, and then they change to make it happen. Do you really think they just up and changed the SAT on a whim? Do you think they are making changes to AP curricula on a whim? College Board brings in a lot of money, which they in turn use to support their philanthropic and research side. They need the money to continue their mission, and to pay their CEO his enormous salary. (And if he is changing things on a whim, then he will lose that salary fast!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 I'm also unsure how one would design a test, given twice a year for decades, that wouldn't lend itself to the creation of test prep materials and practices. If it were vastly different each time that would be unfair to the test takers who took the test in a more difficult year. If it were consistent in order to be fair, people could prep for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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