Well as many of you know, I have a problem with Selective Schools. Because the system chooses students on the basis of tests of ability it ensures that those that are in the better learning environment have greater advantage.
In the Information Bulletin in relation to Selective School year 7 entry 2005 it said:
Preparing students for the test:
The Selective High School test is a secure test and papers are unavailable for scrutiny before or after the test session. In general, academic research does not indicate that coaching or practice will significantly improve the results of the students on ability tests such as the Selective High School test.
In the Selective High School : Year 7 Placement Procedures in 2004 to 2005 it said:
Re-applying
Parents or caregivers should be advised that the selection committee, in determining academic merit, can consider whether or not students who took the Selective High School test in the previous year have gained undue benefit form their experience with the test.
In the Information Bulletin in relation to Opportunity Class for entry in 2005 it said:
Preparing students for the test:
Since the test is designed to measure ability, rather than knowledge of the curriculum, coaching or practice is unlikely to help very much.
In my sons Appeal Analysis of our Appeal that was prepared by the Selective Schools unit for the Appeals panel in relation to my son in part it said:
“SSU: The grounds are not strong. IQ tests measure intellectual potential not academic achievement. The student is not necessarily gifted in ways that result in academic talent.
The grounds relating to the test marks are similarly not strong. The Department does not believe that coaching makes much difference to the results of the students taking the Selective High School test.”
In my sons appeal we submitted two different IQ tests that both put his IQ over 150. He had spent two years in Opportunity class and thrived there and consistantly functioned highly in the State. He was unsuccessful even on Appeal!
I requested to view the Selective Schools tests under the FOI Act and was given supervised access to the documents in what they called a “secure environment”. I had to agree not to discuss any of the questions in the test which seems to be absolutely stupid given that they never use those questions again. Of course, I am not going to breach my agreement but I will say this. The questions are so hard and for many the answers so ambiguous that it is ridiculous. Those that have been shown strategies on how to deal with these types of questions are at a distinct advantage because there is no way that you would come across these types of questions in everyday life or in school. Of course when we went to see the tests we were unable to view the original answer sheet as although we requested that it be set aside under FOI, the answer sheet was destroyed on the day that the matter was for planning meeting at the Adminstrative Decisions Tribunal so we were only given access to the Department of Educations computer printout that we allege has been changed.
Ability is not something that you are born with it is something that is developed.
I have a serious problem with academic research that in general shows that practicing, learning and putting time and effort into something will not make a significant positive difference to outcomes. It amazes me that praticing similar type questions where you are shown how to answer them (coaching) is said to not make much of a difference yet having done the test the year before, even though you have no idea what you got right or wrong, could be said to have given you an unfair advantage.
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