The Brown & White

Most Lehigh students already have the PSAT, the SAT and the ACT under their belts. Some will have the MCAT, GREs or the LSAT. But will future Lehigh freshmen have one more standardized test by the time they enroll?

The College Board hopes they will. The standardized test company, which administrates the SAT and PSAT, among others, is in the process of pioneering a standardized test designed as a means through which middle schools can assess how well their overall student body is performing in mathematics, critical reading and writing.

The test, referred to as ReadiStep, will become available to administrators all over the country next fall.

According to College Board's Web site, the scores of the test will not determine admissions or nationally recognized merit scholarships. Instead, the main objective of this test is to prepare students for college-based examinations.

Even though ReadiStep has yet to make its premiere among students, it has already sparked debates among Lehigh staff members and students.

"I think taking it would be worthwhile just to prepare younger students for what is to come in college," said Tyler Piede, '12. "When you take it in tenth grade, that only gives you one year to plan for the SATs."

Others said they believe early preparation is key for success on the SAT.

"The earlier you start, the more calm you will be. I think I would have felt more prepared for the actual SATs if I had taken this test," said Jeff Herrigel, '12.

College students remember studying for standardized tests, and some feel that these examinations provide a comprehensive analysis of how well a school educates its students.

Piede said he though standardized tests were a fairly accurate judge of knowledge.

Others, however, were unconvinced that the new tests would be worth the additional stress and time.

"Is this going to be something that allows parental and student anxiety to grow?" said Thomas Hammond, an assistant professor of teaching, learning and technology.

With statewide testing assessments, such as the PSSAs in Pennsylvania, offered at middle-school levels, critics dispute the use of yet another testing procedure.

"Kids are taking enough exams. I would hate to see an expectation where they need to take this on top of SATs. For some it might be useful; however, I am skeptical," Hammond said.

ReadiStep has also come under scrutiny since many colleges, including Sarah Lawrence College, Bowdoin College and Dickinson College, have now dismissed the use of SATs as a component employed in admissions.

"SATs themselves seem to be becoming less of a factor in the college admissions process," said MJ Bishop, associate professor and program coordinator of teaching, learning and technology. "Eighth grade seems very early for college preparation exams."

Students who have gone through the college admissions process are also questioning the validity and aim of this test.

"It seems like just another tactic for the College Board to make additional profits. The college admissions process is stressful enough. Why push it back to middle school?" said Ilana Orlansky, '12.

"I think it is ridiculous for eighth grade students to be taking a college-entrance type of exam, especially when middle-school students are already committed to state testing," said Blair Piendak, '11.

Hammond said it is too early to tell if the tests are a good idea.

"For students, the advantage might be that they have more comfort and familiarity with the types of test questions," Hammond said. "But, we won't know the answers until it has been out in the field for a couple of years."