To Test or Not to Test w/ Dr. Julia Collier and Sandra Amoroso

The Well-Trained Mind podcast

In this episode, Susan Wise Bauer and Susanna Jarrett are joined by Dr. Julia Collier and Sandra Amoroso from the Well-Trained Mind Academy to talk all things standardized testing.

Show Notes:

Resources for end-of-year testing:

• Seton Testing
• Susan’s book: Rethinking School: How to Take Charge of Your Child’s Education
• Yearly Testing: How to Do It by Susan Wise Bauer

Resources for SAT and ACT Testing (college admissions tests):

• CollegeBoard
• Yes, standardized testing is coming back to college admissions. Here is the Dartmouth statement that Julia read.
• More information on SAT Adaptive Testing
• Correction for 21:20: Both the SAT and ACT are now offered seven times a year.
• Correction at 16:18: Students can use a calculator during the math portions of the SAT.
• Preparing for the SAT:
  • Schoolhouse.World
  • Official SAT prep book
• PSAT information

Resources for AP Testing

• CollegeBoard official website
• AP essay writing tips
• Articles to dive deeper into CollegeBoard controversies:
  • Follow the Money, History of CollegeBoard Finances
  • How the SAT Failed America via Forbes (this is an older article, but it gets into some issues with the CollegeBoard that stand the test of time)
  • Scandal about Student Data via Reuters

• (00:00) - Intro with Julia Collier+
• (01:27) - Talking about testing
• (02:09) - End of grade testing
• (10:08) - College admissions testing
• (29:03) - Break
• (29:57) - Advanced placement tests
• (34:30) - Pros of AP exams
• (46:27) - Cons of AP exams
• (56:41) - Closing statements
• (59:23) - Outro