Standardized tests are education’s current scapegoat. Since the SAT is a standardized test, it gets its share of abuse, deserved or not. The stated arguments against the test range from “it doesn’t actually predict college performance” to “it’s biased” to “it doesn’t test anything that students really need to know.” An entire cottage industry has sprung up specifically to engage in test bashing, to the point that there are organizations funded by large foundations researching why standardized tests are evil. While some of the criticism is legitimate, much of it is overstated, or based on outdated research. Most colleges still require standardized tests for admission, and it’s unlikely that will dramatically change in the near future. So why is the SAT the target of so much venom? It’s complicated, but a part of the answer is narcissism.
Narcissism is good. OK, I’ve said it, and it’s true at the most basic level. Narcissism is that instinct for self-preservation that kept us from being eaten by lions in our earliest days, and today keeps most of us from participating in Ultimate Fighting matches. We need a healthy amount of it or we’d all go jump off a cliff at the slightest provocation. Beyond that essential narcissism, an elevated sense of self-importance is a normal part of adolescence, but if current trends continue, the current generation may be the most self-absorbed in history. And it all comes down to parenting trends, with a little help from technology.
Full disclosure, I’m not a parent so you can take my observations with a grain of salt. However, it only takes watching kids texting at the movies while ignoring the person sitting next to them to know that teenagers are narcissistic. Does anyone REALLY care if you just ate some popcorn? Of course not, but that tidbit of information is considered worthy of posting on Facebook. Technology created by and for the “me” generation makes this level of narcissism possible. And it’s the “me” generation because of current trends in parenting. Parents of today’s teens are terrified of injuring their kids’ self-esteem. They’re intimately involved in their children’s daily lives, and they bend over backwards to make their kids feel “special.” A co-worker recently told me that her 9-year-old son’s basketball team had made the playoffs in their league. Great right? Not so much, since EVERY team makes the playoffs! Actual competition has been sacrificed in the name of warm fuzzies. This same desire to boost self-esteem makes its way into schools. For example, many schools have dropped class rankings because it creates competition.
Reality is that kids are not all intellectually gifted, and most are average. Sounds like a dirty word doesn’t it? Unfortunately, no one really believes that they’re average. Just look no further than Yahoo! Answers for proof that narcissism is alive and well. Visit the testing section and you’ll see dozens of questions daily about IQ scores, usually variations on the theme of “So my IQ is 135. Is that good?” Without exception, these results come from the myriad online IQ tests that routinely hand out genius level IQs for a fee. The amazing thing is that the askers truly believe that they have superior intelligence, although the grammar and spelling errors lead me to think otherwise! But why wouldn’t they believe they’re geniuses when their parents have led them to believe they’re exceptional. So an individual with an average SAT score may shout “I’m not average, I’m smarter than that!” The SAT just reflects the realities of life. It’s normed so that most students’ scores will fall within the average range. There is nothing wrong with that, since most people are, in fact, average. Colleges admit, even actively recruit, those average scorers every year. Average students successfully graduate from college and go on to lead productive lives all the time. But a test that generates primarily average scores must be a bad test in the culture of narcissism, so it’s roundly criticized for its inability to capture the “unique” abilities of average students. The SAT awards scores that separate students from each other, and trophies are certainly not awarded to everyone. Tests that might make our children feel less than extraordinary are awful, and should be eliminated.
Narcissism also begets an inability to critically assess oneself, which naturally leads to laying blame for failure at the feet of schools, teachers, and in this case, standardized tests. Previous generations never hesitated to blame their children for their mistakes. My grandparents certainly let my father know when he failed to live up to their expectations. Not so today. My mother is an elementary school librarian, and she tells frequent stories of parents arriving on campus to unleash a tirade at a teacher who dared to fail his or her child on an assignment. It can never be the fault of the student for not paying attention in class or failing to complete homework assignments. It is also never a parent’s fault for failing to help them with their homework or to motivate their children to succeed. Confronting your child’s teacher requires a certain amount of hubris, though. Imagine how much easier it is to confront a faceless, defenseless test! Ranting about a test comes naturally (everyone hates tests after all). The SAT is a particularly good target because its creators are the well-educated minions of a large corporation, and what populist American doesn’t love hating a corporation? Test bashing conveniently transfers blame, and allows the narcissist to believe that his poor score was the test’s fault, not his.
While I don’t think the SAT is perfect, it’s not worthy of so much ire. It levels the playing field across high schools and reduces the effects of grade inflation in some schools. It also gives students whose grades may not reflect their ability a chance to shine. I had a professor in graduate school that referred to his exams as “opportunities.” I thought it was a silly affectation, but on further examination, I think it’s a good description. On a test, SAT included, students have the opportunity to show what they’re capable of. Preparation, motivation and hard work may all be rewarded. Your score may not be the deciding factor in college admissions, but it’s one piece of the puzzle that can differentiate you from others. Accepting the test as an opportunity, rather than an act of persecution, can open doors and motivate students to live up to their actual potential.
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