PSAT, SAT, etc .

[Page Stephens]

John,

I am not taking a position on this either, but I would be interested in
looking at an old test in order to see whether or not other questions on the
PSAT or SAT are equally as controversial in terms of "correct" answers as
this one is, and I cannot think of a better group of people to investigate
this subject than members of the ADS.

Perhaps questions are culture/dialect neutral perhaps they are not but since
I have no evidence for or against my proposition I think that this is a
subject worthy of investigation.

 I do not know even though I suspect that I am correct in thinking that
dialect has quite a bit to do with the outcome of test scores. If it did not
I would be totally amazed on the ground that if the people who write the
tests would be able not to let their own cultural prejudices get in the way
of writing objective questions they would probably be unique because I know
from my days as a professor of anthropology that I had to be very careful in
phrasing the questions I asked my students even after they had taken my
courses.

Anyone else out there interested in my proposed project?

Page Stephens

----- Original Message -----
From: "Baker, John" <JMB at STRADLEY.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2003 11:13 AM
Subject: Re: PSAT, SAT, etc .


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Baker, John" <JMB at STRADLEY.COM>
> Subject:      Re: PSAT, SAT, etc .
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
>
>         I think you're making a leap here, based on the evidence you cite.
The question here was a problematic one that ETS now says should not have
made it through the screening process, the first time in years that they
have admitted this.  One problematic question, out of more than a thousand,
doesn't tell us much.  In addition, ETS's correct answer was E (no error),
the very answer that a student who had not been exposed to a misleading
grammar text would have given.
>
>         Note that I'm not taking a position at this time on whether such
tests are invidious.  I just don't think that the discussion over this one
question gives any evidence for that position.
>
> John Baker
>
>