After taking my last ACT, it really got me thinking about not only the test itself but how inaccurate it portrays students' knowledge. The ACT is a test that is supposed to test a student's knowledge in math, general science, reading comprehension, and grammar. Each test has a certain time limit with varying amounts of questions. There is also a writing section in which the student writes a short essay answering the prompt. Supposedly, the grading system for that is extremely arbitrary given the subjective nature of essays, but that is irrelevant.
There are a lot of kids at our school who do very well on the ACT. And though there are kids who are destined to get that 36 because of how much natural smarts they have, there is one thing that New Trier kids have an advantage over kids from other schools. Tutors. I know tons of kids who have tutors for the ACT, either private or in a group. Only extremely wealthy families can afford a tutor, which is supposed to increase a student's score. That puts kids from many schools at a major disadvantage.
The competitive nature at our school coerces kids to study an insane amount and even spend hundreds of dollars on a tutor. I do not think that tests the student's knowledge whatsoever. It also puts wealthy kids, who are already a step ahead of less wealthy kids, another step ahead.
Is this how standardized testing will continue to be? What can be done to equalize testing so that everyone has the same opportunity, if anything?
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