Re:From “Hello World” to VP of Engineering at Reddit (2017)
by zamazingo on Tuesday January 29, 2019 @07:26AM
(#19025742)
> You may be living in an unjust society, but if you can score X on this test, you will get Y.
In an unusual society, those who are disadvantaged will also be disadvantaged on this test if it becomes important enough to predict one's future prospects. Think private tutoring, specialized schools, summer camps, all focused on teaching you to get a good score on the test, and all expensive as ever (ie inaccessible). And now, your education system develops you for the test, not for life or jobs.
It's an easier sell, but it's a lemon and not a well designed and performant product.
Standardized testing gets a lot of flak for being too rigid or biased, but I think its rigidity serves an important purpose. You may be living in an unjust society, but if you can score X on this test, you will get Y. There's plenty of information on the test as well as resources anyone can use to score well enough (online, public library or school library). It's an easier sell to many disadvantaged groups and present a clear way out, whether it be a magnet school or university.