It is SAT season in the good old USA. Hundreds of thousands of students are preparing by taking SAT courses if they can afford them. Those courses are actually worth it because they have been proven to boost scores by significant amounts. If you cannot afford them – too bad. There is a real class based education system down there. Up here too but that is another story.
The tests are very important. They are needed because universities and colleges cannot depend school marks because the qualities of high schools vary based on class and other reasons.
Here, schools do differ as much so can usually work out whom they want enrolled from transcripts.
Up here, in Ontario, we have our standardized tests but they are not used in this way and that is a good thing.
But if you look down south, you might be looking at our future. Here is what might happen.
• The EQAO is privatized for to an American firm for not much money. (see the 407 deal)
• The EQAO starts charging for tests and other products just like the US College Board.
• As resources are drained from public schools, standards among schools start to spread as poorer communities get less academic help.
• The EQAO will then be used by post secondary institutions like in the US.
Ah progress.
