A few weeks ago I listened to a report on the radio about a
trend in the job search industry. It seems that an increasing
number of companies are asking potential applicants to include
their SAT scores on their resumes.
A few weeks ago I listened to a report on the radio about a trend in the job search industry. It seems that an increasing number of companies are asking potential applicants to include their SAT scores on their resumes.
One of the headhunters who addressed this issue stated that the SAT is now being used as a tool when screening employment candidates. With the current tight job market, high SAT scores might just give one prospective job seeker an edge over an otherwise equally qualified (but lower SAT scoring) competitor. The program concluded with a little information on what kinds of SAT scores were needed for various jobs. An entry level job for the new college graduate would be available if the candidate scored a minimum of 1000 on the SAT, a managerial candidate would need to attain a score of 1200, and to be considered for a partner or executive position would require a score of 1400 or higher. Using SAT scores as a litmus test is ridiculous, and it has nothing to do with the fact that my SAT scores means I miss the cut for being partner material.
The fact remains that standardized testing is becoming more and more important though, as all of our students and teachers can attest. As standards based education becomes the norm around the country, doing well on the SAT, the big kahuna of standardized testing will become more important than ever. Is this a good trend? Well, yes and no. I am a fan of standardized testing, because it is one measurable way that we can compare the academic abilities of our students to students across the country.
Opponents of standardized testing tend to look at the bigger picture, and arguments can certainly be made against tests like the SAT. But the fact is, we have always had students in our schools in Gilroy who received A’s and B’s while testing below grade level. Honor roll celebrations routinely include students who are doing well in intervention classes. I’m not saying there is no cause to celebrate, either. Improvement is the goal for all students. But at some point, those A’s and B’s must be an accurate assessment of one’s knowledge of the subject matter. This is one reason why the SAT is so important – it is readily measurable against standards.
If you believe that the SAT test is inconsequential to later success, then let me attempt to convince you otherwise. I know a guy who has boasted of having graduated with a 3.55 GPA from GHS a few years back. I think he is a really sweet person, but he’s not very bright. His language and grammar skills are low, he’s one of those people who use “axed” in place of “asked.”
I was shocked when he told me that he had graduated with honors. He hasn’t gone to college yet, and his combined SAT score was 830. While there is hope for him beyond the job he now hopes to get at a gas station, the short-term outlook is grim. Through no fault of his own, he graduated high school with a false sense of accomplishment. He has worked a series of part-time jobs for minimum wage, because he is thoroughly unqualified to do anything else at the moment. He is an honors graduate who just might be ready for community college.
Had he taken an SAT preparatory course, he would have known how much he was lacking going in. Had he received a more rigorous, standards-based (some call it classical) education, he would have had more success on his SAT test. He would have been an honors graduate who scored above 1000 on this test and was prepared to succeed in college. He would have graduated college this spring, and had a chance at landing one of those entry level careers rather than hoping for an $8 per hour job.
If the goal of our school system is to provide the best possible education for our students, then we still have work to do. The SAT will never replace the classroom experience. Kinesthetic learners will always be at a disadvantage when it comes to this kind of test.
Very few students are gifted in athletics, music or art, areas where low SAT scores may cause no harm in your college search. For the average student, success on the SAT has always been important for college admission. The latest trend is that the SAT might follow you beyond college, and become a staple on the resume. Whether you’re a fan of the testing or not, we must prepare our students to do well on the SAT. The stakes have never been higher.
Denise Baer Apuzzo has lived in Gilroy for seven years. She is married and the mother of three children who attend Gilroy Unified Schools. You can reach her by email at: lu*****@****ic.com.
