Show College board acknowledges more SAT scoring errors i L j 1 1 the Lois Romano The Washington Post School administrators were stunned Thursday by the revelation revelation revelation reve reve- lation from the College Board that an additional SAT tests from the October exam had not been for errors The announcement was the third admission in two weeks by the testing organization of potential errors and underreported underreported underreported ported scores in the college entrance exam used by thousands thousands thou thou- sands of schools A spokesman for the New York-based York company company company com com- pany said that the largest error was a discrepancy of points out of a potential 2400 The total number of students who will have higher scores resubmitted is Its incomprehensible to tome tome tome me that there have been three separate discoveries of scoring errors on the same exam said Gary Ross dean of admissions fo for Colgate University which was informed that it had received 57 erroneous scores The College Board reports only the scores that were erroneously erroneously erroneously erro erro- lowered not lowered not scores that were mistakenly raised Its a disgrace that upon discovery of the first series of scoring errors the College Board was not able to get to the bottom of the problem Ross said They owe all of us usa usa usa a detailed explanation of what went wrong and how they are going to avoid these kinds of mishaps in the future Lee Stetson admissions dean for the University of Pennsylvania which had affected applicants said he was was disappointed in the way the errors were dribbled out It makes us very unsettled Jennifer executive director of communications and public affairs affair at the College Board which administers adminis adminis- the test said Thursday y that nothing like this has ha ever happened before and we are going to ensure this does does not happened again old and We are years have a long history of excellence excellence excel excel- lence she said The College Board announced Wednesday on its Web site that it will implement new policies along with its scoring subcontractor Pearson Educational Measurement In Inthe Inthe Inthe the future each answer sheet will be scored twice and steps will be taken to ensure that answer sheets are protected from humidity In addition Booz Allen Hamilton has been hired to review scanning procedures procedures procedures pro pro- and will provide recommendations recommendations recommendations rec rec- within 90 days Two vo weeks ago the College Board disclosed that of the million half-million students who took the October SATs had scores that were higher than originally reported A week later it reported that another 1600 sheets had not been res- res canned And then this week it reported that an additional of the October tests were not rechecked notifying schools and affected students Its the latest installment of ofa a soap opera and it makes you wonder what's coming next said Robert Schaeffer of which is critical of schools' schools reliance on standardized standardized standardized standard standard- testing He said he would lobby Congress for hearings Theres less regulation over these tests than over what you feed your pets he said This demonstrates how much human error is involved in making stakes high-stakes education decisions The timing is terrible several several several sever sever- al admissions directors said At Atthe Atthe Atthe the University of Virginia Dean of Admissions John Blackburn found out Thursday morning that 12 more ap liHI li- li HI orre t s or s. s sa o ojust craIs i wilT will pall fides just jurs as for foi 66 other applicants look at the numbers numbers numbers num num- bers and see if they need to i L j 1 1 the reconsider So far he said news has not changed any of th their ir admissions decisions SATs are just one factor we consider d er h he e Sal said d Blackburn said he has never neverseen neverseen neverseen seen a problem like this in nearly 40 years in admissions millions millions millions mil mil- This group has tested lions of people they're amazingly consistent Every once in a while the score sheets got some humidity rippled rippled rip rip- pled so the scanner didn't pick it up At Georgetown University admissions decisions letters get mailed Friday Officials reviewed 93 applications applications applications because of incorrect scores One was wrong by a significant points but most were in the to 30 point range said Charles Deacon the dean of undergraduate undergraduate under under- grac graduate admissions The concern many of us have is they only adjusted scores that went up not up not the scores that went down That's the most troubling part he said articulating articulating articulating lating a concern of many administrators that there could be students with inflated scores who got slots other applicants deserved The news of testing errors fueled opponents of standardized standardized standardized standard standard- testing as some schools are re-evaluating re how much weight to give the SAT Twenty venty years ago Maines Maine's Bates' Bates College made the SAT optional and the results have been positive said William Hiss vice president for external external external exter exter- nal affairs First of all our applicant pool doubled Hiss said Its very simple You can build a better class with a larger applicant applicant applicant cant pool You end up considering considering considering consid consid- ering a dozen different variables variables variables vari vari- ables and get a more diverse group with intellectual breath and varied interests Ultimately we concluded that testing was an artificial that intelligence nce is more more i ij jl n I. vJ Jl 10 J e eted etea t ea and ana ana comp complex I ex thin than an what can be measured by any single testing system |