WP,pg1: Scorers of New SAT Get Ready for Essays

Scorers of New SAT Get Ready for Essays

By Michael Dobbs
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, January 16, 2005; Page A01


IOWA CITY -- With just two months to go before the much-heralded new SAT is given, a team of English professors and psychometricians is poring over sample essays to determine what kind of writing should be rewarded and what penalized....

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For the first time in the 67-year history of the SAT, the March 12 test will include a written essay along with revised reading and math exams. For the millions of high school juniors and seniors who will ultimately take the test, as well as the thousands of U.S. colleges that will use them in determining whether to admit those students, the stakes in deciding how to score the test could hardly be higher.

Critics of standardized tests have depicted the essays as lightning-fast, formulaic exercises that are unlikely to reveal much about a student's true writing abilities. "This test forces you to write very quickly with little time for reflection," says Adam Robinson, author of best-selling test preparation books. "There's no time for rewriting, which is the essence of good writing."

Proponents concede that the new SAT will not produce award-winning writing. But they defend the test as a useful exercise in establishing whether college applicants can write under pressure. The test will also provide college admissions officers with an authenticated sample of a student's writing to compare with the meticulously prepared essay that is part of most college applications....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12757-2005Jan15.html