A huge pet peeve of mine is administrators who design programs for their constituents that do not work. A program on campus designed to help underrepresented students get into graduate school is focusing a lot of time and energy on GRE preparation. The rationale is that students have been performing poorly on the GRE in recent years, so focusing on GRE prep will help increase scores. However, this does not work. It has never worked, and it probably will not work in this case.
High stakes testing (e.g., Iowa Test of Basic Skills, ACT, SAT, GRE, LSAT, etc.) has been repeatedly shown to predict nothing about the ability of a student to perform in school or in society. At best, these tests display students’ abilities to multiple guess. Lipman (2002) tells us that extensive focus on these tests in schools is actually correlated positively with lower scores. Belgrave and Allison (2006) note that “These efforts to improve test performance result in an overall narrowing of the educational opportunities available to students in lower-performing schools as schools increase their focus on test performance.” Furthermore, “In contrast, at higher-performing schools, teachers are described as focusing on developing richer curricula and promoting the value and love of learning.”
I personally know talented and brilliant students and people in the work force who want to return to school, but are paralyzed in their educational development, simply because they are scared to death of the GRE! Either they have been out of school for a while and do not think they would be able to succeed, or they took the test at one point and scored very low. Either way, these people are inhibited from reaching their goals because of a multiple choice exam that does not tell much about their capabilities. I think such tests should be done away with. Of course, this would mean that administrators and educational institutions would have to work harder to determine the capabilities of students by reading submitted writings and truly analyzing a student’s academic history and potential. God forbid these academics and administrators actually have to evaluate students’ potential and abilities.
The worst part is that I can present a case to a program that clearly shows how focusing on GRE prep will not only not improve scores, but decrease scores by adding anxiety and narrowing global educational initiatives. I can give recommendations as to how a program can increase scores by increasing student morale and excitement about learning in general. I can give examples of educational institutions that have done away with high stakes testing, and even standard letter grading, which resulted in more well rounded students who achieved more educationally and professionally. Only, since the government has determined, devoid of research, that GRE prep is mandatory for low scoring students, this program will sabotage yet another class of potentially high achieving students by bogging them down with worries over a single test. I just don’t get it.
July 22, 2008 at 5:04 am
There is a long of research initiated by Claude Steele professor at Stanford that looks at what he calls stereotype threat. the idea behind this is that when a person is asked to perform a task in which there is a predominant and relevant stereotype that pertains to an aspect of themselves, they will become consciously or unconscious anxious about confirming those stereotypes therefore their performance will be hindered. For example, a stereotype exists that suggest African Americans are unintelligent and do poorly on standardized tests. If race in this example has been primed (i.e. asking to report race on your exam before starting), the anxiety to disprove the stereotype will hinder performance. He used the idea of stereotype threat as one of the explanations behind the achievement gap (the discrepancy that exists between black and white students on standardized test.)
December 23, 2008 at 11:26 am
Hi Blue! This is Vanessa, I commented a few times on your other posts. Hopefully you remember, but just wanted you to know that I’m going to graduate school next year to pursue a masters in Civil Engineering. I mentioned before that my gpa was not a 3.0, and even though I’ve been busting my butt, it’s still not. BUT, I’ve been working with a Professor that is absolutely wonderful, and he is willing to take me as a graduate student in the fall of next year, even with my current gpa. I will also be sitting in one of his graduate classes next quarter. Anyways, I’m so excited but my family doesn’t understand what’s going on. I try to explain to my parents and grandma that I’m continuing with school, but I am getting my degree (BS) and graduate school is WORKING. I need them to understand these things so they feel comfortable with me and my boyfriend getting married the summer before we go to grad-school. Actually, it was yesterday my boyfriend took my dad out to lunch to ask for his blessing. My dad was impressed, BUT thinks it’s a bad idea since we will both be going to school (he is going to grad school as well). My father’s main worry is that I will end up like my sister. She got married, and never went back to the junior college after dropping out. He and my mom are financially supporting her and her husband (a lot) because her husband doesn’t work. Anyways, is there anything I can do to help my family understand. They immigrated here to the US from Mexico, and none of them have a college education. I’m the first in my family, and it’s just been difficult in getting my parents support when they view things so differently. I tried googling this issue, i.e. how to help your parents understand graduate school and what it really means, there was nothing. I would be grateful for any suggestions you have. One thing I may do is this. The professor I’m working with knows about my personal background and struggles etc. And he said that if I ever need something, like a letter, just stated to my parents what I’m doing, or that they should be very proud, to just ask. I think this is the perfect opportunity for that. Let me know what you think, and take care.
April 15, 2009 at 11:37 am
I read your blog for a long time and must tell you that your articles always prove to be of a high value and quality for readers.
April 15, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Venessa,
I am terribly sorry for returning this message 6 months later than you sent it. I have not blogged since last September. I am so sorry you were going through the situation you were going through. I know a lot of people experiencing the same thing with parents. It’s a difficult situation: on one hand, you are goal oriented and set in what you want to do. On the other hand, you want to quiet your parents’ worries and assure them that everything will be fine without going against their wishes. As always, I can’t tell you what to do, but I can tell you what I would do.
First of all, you have a bachelor’s degree (or soon will). By default, you are already in the top 25% of Americans in terms of education and earning potential, even if you stopped now. You should never have to move in with your parents.
Secondly, graduate school is very hard. In many circumstances, people quit because they just don’t have support. First generation college graduates and students from immigrant families don’t have anyone to turn to who understands the grad school culture. You work really hard for no money and you have no time. It can be very odd to most people outside of academia. However, you’re lucky because you’ll be married to someone who will be travelling that journey with you. You two will be able to support each other and learn to cope together. I have a colleague at SLU who is married with a kid and her husband is also in grad school. They both work very hard, but because they understand each other, they can be more supportive. For example, their idea of a beautiful evening is putting their son to bed and sitting on the couch together with their respective laptops, working on research.
The truth is, your parents may not come around. They may not understand and they may not support your decisions completely. When you have your masters or ph.d. degree, they will understand. Part of growing up is breaking away from our parents and sometimes disappointing them. As long as you know what your goals are and you do everything you can to reach your goals, you will be successful. Your parents only love you and want to protect you, but when things get rocky between you and them, just continue to be the respectable and accomplished woman you are and they will respect you more in time.
Blue