As made clear in last month’s notes, the College Board administered in August 25th, 2018 a test that had previously been administered in China and Korea in June of 2017. Additionally, this is one of the exams that, apparently, got into the hands of many test taking companies and was intensively studied by students throughout Asia. By most standardized testing controls, if you have one set of students that have previously seen and studied the test, and another that has not, the results are in question, and the test is thrown out, and a new test issued.
Yet instead of not withholding test scores or investigating the debacle, the College Board treated the situation by neglecting to take any action.
Strange, however, is that the Hawaiian administration of the August 25th SAT was delayed because of hurricanes. That test was rescheduled to a later date. Several students from Korea took the rescheduled exam and discovered the College Board again administered the same June 2017 test. Needless to say, the students performed very well on that administration of the exam.
The College Board is not only failing to acknowledge its miscue, it is completely unrepentant and performing the same error with the same test once again.
The one function of a standardized testing service that must religiously be followed is that the tests it provides fairly and accurately measures the students taking the exam. This the College Board repeatedly is failing to perform. Consequently, the ethical base of the entire organization is in question and the College Board responds by stonewalling.
For the second month in a row, it is time for the CEO of the College Board, David Coleman, to resign and a third party to investigate thoroughly the workings of the organization, with the intent of getting it back on the rails of exemplary conduct or dissolve it altogether.
The College Board did away with the guessing penalty on the SAT years ago. Now the guess is about the validity of the SAT, and penalties need to be imposed to prevent further inconsistencies.