Tighten college-test security
A student takes a sample SAT test during a prep class (March 3, 2005) Credit: Getty Images
For college entrance exams like the SAT and the ACT to serve any purpose, they must be trustworthy and above suspicion. So much rides on these tests for people trying to get into college, and the validity of the scores is particularly important because the students are competing against each other for the same spots.
The SAT cheating scandal on Long Island that has generated 20 arrests also created plenty of discussion about how widespread the problem is (it depends on whom you ask), how to stop it and what punishment makes sense. Officials with knowledge of the case say some of the same young adults were also involved in scamming the ACT.
College-bound students who pay others to take the dreaded tests are cheating the honest hopefuls, either in their grade or in the region, who may lose an offer of admission at a competitive college because someone else bested them on the test. Many popular colleges limit the number of students selected from specific schools, regions or even states, to have a varied student body. In this economy, state schools are becoming more competitive too.
What the companies that administer these tests actually sell is a trustworthy assessment of students. They are similar to ratings agencies like Moody's or Standard & Poor's, certifying student aptitude and achievement on a scale from superb to dreadful. That means that if the companies can't guarantee the legitimacy of their results, they have no real product to market.
To keep such tests honest, two things are needed: appropriate security to prevent and detect cheating, and appropriate punishment for cheaters, to deter them from even trying.
Officials with the Educational Testing Service, which develops and administers the SAT for the College Board, have said they spend $25 million a year on SAT security, and intense studies of the tests each year tell them cheating is not widespread. ETS continues to stand by this, but as the scandal grew and the heat increased, the organization saw at least the need to look more responsive; it recently contracted with the company of ex-FBI director Louis Freeh to look for better security solutions.
Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice's office conducted the investigation that included a grand jury, and wants security increased for both the SAT and the ACT. Her best ideas include students being photographed on the day of the tests, improved document retention, and clear consequences for students who pay others to take their tests.
Currently, illicit scores are canceled and students can retake the test for free. Even those arrested after paying others to take the test likely face little or no legal punishment. Rice argues, correctly, that students who send in impersonators should not be allowed to sit for another test for a year, and the colleges they ordered their scores sent to should be told of their cheating.
The answer is real prevention and Rice is on the right track: security that makes it so difficult to game these tests that people won't try, and punishments strong enough to deter those few who might still bother. The testing agencies have to make that happen, though it will be costly. If they won't, it may cost them everything.
