PBS高端访谈:SAT和ACT分数高并不一定代表大学成绩好

 　　JUDY WOODRUFF: It’s one of those times of the year when high school juniors aiming for college are getting ready to take the SAT or the ACT, but a large new study is challenging the value of these well-known standardized¹ tests.

　　Researchers looked at 33 public and private colleges and universities where it’s optional for applicants³ to submit their test scores. In all, the study examined the records of 123,000 students from more than 20 states. It found that test scores didn’t correlate with how well a student did in college based on grades and graduation rates.

　　The paper has raised a variety of questions from several corners.

　　And we turn to its lead author, William Hiss⁴. He’s the former dean of admissions at Bates College in Maine, which is, we should note, a test-optional school.

　　Bill Hiss, thank you very much for joining us.

　　First of all, why did you undertake this study?

　　WILLIAM HISS, Former Dean of Admissions, Bates College: I have been looking at this issue for over 30 years.

　　I’m trained as an ethicist⁵, so I wasn’t trying to find the perfect formula to admit students when I was dean of admissions. Rather, I was trying to say, how do we understand human intelligence? How do we understand promise?

　　And, originally, we began looking at whether standardized testing helped us to choose talented students or whether it artificially truncated⁷ the pools of people who would succeed if we would give them a chance.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: And so you were — you had an idea in your mind of what the answer would be before you undertook this?

　　WILLIAM HISS: Well, we have done at five-year intervals⁸ for 30 years studies of the Bates students who were submitters and non-submitters.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: Meaning — submitters meaning students who did or didn’t submit their test scores.

　　WILLIAM HISS: Correct. Submit their testing, correct.

　　And we wanted to do a study that would be a national study. I was frankly⁹ surprised to find how closely the national study’s results lined up with the long history of studies we have done at Bates.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: And so tell us, what were the main findings?

　　WILLIAM HISS: The main finding is that if students have strong high school records, good grades in high school, their odds¹⁰ of doing welcome in college are very good even with a quite wide range of testing.

　　Of the 123,000 students in our study, we had approximately 30 percent who had not submitted their tests or not had them used for admissions decisions. The difference in cumulative¹¹ GPAs in college turned out to be five-one-hundredths of a GPA point. The difference in graduation rates turned out to be six-tenths of 1 percent.

　　By any definition, by any statistical¹² standard, those are trivial differences.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: So, it’s commonly been accepted, though, I think, for many years that these tests help in determining whether students should be accepted at college.

　　What do you think these results should say to colleges that are today insisting that students send in, submit their test results?

　　WILLIAM HISS: I think that colleges will probably be doing some hopefully analysis of their own predictors college by college. This is a national study, so it looks across institutional types.

　　Of the 123,000 students in our study, 71,000 were at public universities. Another 12,000 were at minority-serving institutions. We had 20 private colleges and universities in our study. So there’s a very wide variety. But I hope institutions will ask themselves the question, would we open up our applicant² pools more, would we see larger numbers of students who would succeed if in one way or another we deemphasized the testing?

　　And that essentially¹³ is what Bates has found. Over the years, our applicant pool went from 2,200 to 5,200 for about the same size class. Do you get a better class with two-and-a-half times as many applicants? Of course. Of course you do, and on all the scales, not just academic success, but contributions to the college community in a variety of ways.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: What do you say to representatives of the College Board? This is the body that administers the SAT, that they say multiple surveys they have done over the years, tests they have done, evaluations¹⁴, show that this test is an accurate predictor of college success.

　　And they also say that — I’m quoting now — “High-quality research shows neither the SAT nor high school grade-point average should be used alone when making college admission decisions.”

　　WILLIAM HISS: Well, I would tend to agree with the second point.

　　And I would say students should try to show us what they have brought to some high level of success. It may be a viola or debate or soccer goalie or community service. But I agree we should look at more than a single instrument.

　　I, frankly, was surprised to find how reliable the high school GPA was. And I thought about it a lot. And I myself think that we are looking at two four-year-long demonstrations¹⁵, high school and college, of self-discipline, curiosity, intellectual drive, if you will, the ability to get your homework done on time, get your papers written.

　　And so I think there are reasons that the high school GPA turns out to be a very solid predictor. And ours is by far not the first study that has turned up the same results.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: And just quickly, finally, pin down for us what harm you see in insisting that students take these tests and submit them.

　　WILLIAM HISS: Well, the biggest harm is to the country. You truncate⁶ the applicant pools of people who would succeed.

　　And the people who are non-submitters in higher percentages are just who we need to get through, first generation to college, minority students, students with learning disabilities like dyslexia, somewhat more women than men, Pell Grant recipients¹⁶ who are low-income students. These are the people we have to get through college.

　　So the danger is, you truncate your pool of the people you really need to have in your college.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: Bill Hiss, we thank you for talking with us.

　　WILLIAM HISS: Thank you.

1 standardized   

adj.标准化的

参考例句：

• We use standardized tests to measure scholastic achievement. 我们用标准化考试来衡量学生的学业成绩。
• The parts of an automobile are standardized. 汽车零件是标准化了的。

2 applicant   

n.申请人，求职者，请求者

参考例句：

• He was the hundredth applicant for the job. 他是第100个申请这项工作的人。
• In my estimation, the applicant is well qualified for this job. 据我看, 这位应征者完全具备这项工作的条件。

3 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

4 hiss   

v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满

参考例句：

• We can hear the hiss of air escaping from a tire.我们能听到一只轮胎的嘶嘶漏气声。
• Don't hiss at the speaker.不要嘘演讲人。

5 ethicist   

n.伦理学家，道德学家

参考例句：

• They are used to resolving conflicting principles, says Dick Willems, a Dutch doctor and ethicist. 荷兰的医生，伦理学家DickWillems说，他们惯于解决相冲突的原则。
• They are used to resolving conflicting principles, says Dick Willems gold, a Dutch doctor and ethicist. 一个荷兰医生与道德家，认为他们习惯了解决有冲突的原则。

6 truncate   

v.修短；截掉

参考例句：

• Sorry,the text is too long to edit.Truncate it to 255 characters? 对不起，文本太长了，无法进行编辑。将其截断到255个字符吗？
• Do you want to truncate the transaction log? 是否要截断事务日志？

7 truncated   

adj.切去顶端的，缩短了的，被删节的v.截面的( truncate的过去式和过去分词 )；截头的；缩短了的；截去顶端或末端

参考例句：

• My article was published in truncated form. 我的文章以节录的形式发表了。
• Oligocene erosion had truncated the sediments draped over the dome. 覆盖于穹丘上的沉积岩为渐新世侵蚀所截削。 来自辞典例句

8 intervals   

n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息

参考例句：

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
• Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

9 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

10 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

11 cumulative   

adj.累积的，渐增的

参考例句：

• This drug has a cumulative effect.这种药有渐增的效力。
• The benefits from eating fish are cumulative.吃鱼的好处要长期才能显现。

12 statistical   

adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• He showed the price fluctuations in a statistical table.他用统计表显示价格的波动。
• They're making detailed statistical analysis.他们正在做具体的统计分析。

13 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

14 evaluations   

估价( evaluation的名词复数 )； 赋值； 估计价值； [医学]诊断

参考例句：

• In fact, our moral evaluations are merely expressions of our desires. 事实上，我们的道德评价只是我们欲望的表达形式。 来自哲学部分
• Properly speaking, however, these evaluations and insights are not within the concept of official notice. 但准确地讲，这些评估和深远见识并未包括在官方通知概念里。

15 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

16 recipients   

adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器

参考例句：

• The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》