The Biggest Indicator Of Your Kid’s SAT Scores: Your Salary
Tiger Moms who worry about their little one achieving academic prowess need not necessarily bother with things like instilling strong study habits. It seems that if you really want to know how your kid’s SAT scores will ultimately look, all you really need to take a gander at is your tax returns.
Author Daniel Pink put together this telling graph of the intersection between household income and students’ SAT scores after reviewing information from the College Board’s 2011 Total Group Profile Report, says the Business Insider. And wouldn’t you know that those families pulling in over $200,000 a year have kids in the highest score bracket. Make an extra $20,000 a year and watch those test numbers climb. All the more money to spend on test preparation courses and private tutors and essay question coaches, it seems. Any parent with the means would of course spend until no end to ensure that their child had the best of opportunities. But these figures are more important in that they reveal a rather large flaw into the alleged intention of the SAT — that being to test all prospective college-goers on “fair” premises.
College Board seems to pride themselves on how “fair” the SAT is, even touting the statement “It’s fair to everyone” on their website. College Board defines the of intention of the SAT on fairness as well, stating:
The SAT and SAT Subject Tests are a suite of tools designed to assess your academic readiness for college. These exams provide a path to opportunities, financial support and scholarships, in a way that’s fair to all students. The SAT and SAT Subject Tests keep pace with what colleges are looking for today, measuring the skills required for success in the 21st century.
Yet with wealth being a clear indication as to how kids will perform on the SAT, there doesn’t seem to be anything currently fair about it. The College Board has designed an exam to which there is countless accompanying resources for kids to get ahead — but only if families can afford them.
(photo: businessinsider.com)
