Put down your pencils
Trend to drop standardized testing for college admissions is a welcome change.
Thoughts for the day
Trustees of California State University have decided to permanently drop the SAT and ACT tests in the admissions process, citing equality concerns.
I’m not going to weigh in on the equality issues in standardized testing, there are plenty of people far more qualified than I to address that subject, but I have never been a fan of standardized testing.
I was a decent student in school. I got good grades, took CP and some AP courses, made National Honor Society and even managed a couple of awards and a small (book) scholarship at graduation.
But, when it came to standardized tests, I stunk up the joint. While peers knocked down awe-inspiring numbers, I was amazingly average on more than one occasion. And I’m not alone. There are a lot of us out there.
I have always valued a well-rounded education. I think there is more to be said for an involved student with a good GPA than by performance on one standardized test. In the last few years, colleges and universities seem to agree, trending away from putting too much weight on the SAT and ACT.
CSU is the largest four-year university system in the nation, so if you were looking for a nail in the coffin of standardized testing, here it is. I say, not a moment too soon.
The Six
No. 1
Read the story in the L.A. Times: CSU officially drops SAT and ACT from admissions process in major move.
No. 2
Madeleine Albright has died. The cause was cancer, according to her family. Albright came to the U.S. at the age of 11, a political refugee from Czechoslovakia, and rose to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and the first female secretary of state. Read the Washington Post obituary.
No. 3
Read Madeleine Albright’s February opinion piece in The New York Times: Putin Is Making a Historic Mistake
No. 4
You may remember a week or so ago I pointed out a story highlighting a loophole in New York City’s mask mandate requirements that meant unvaccinated Mets and Yankees were not going to be able to play on opening day. Mayor Eric Adams has closed that loophole, meaning athletes like those ballplayers and basketball’s Kyrie Irving, who played the long game, won. Great, right? Read this opinion piece by The New York Post’s Mike Vaccaro highlighting a big double standard, and you might think differently.
No. 5
After two shootings that left five people shot and injuries to several police officers, Miami Beach is imposing a midnight curfew starting today through the weekend in the midst of spring break. A city-organized concert has also been postponed. The Miami Herald reports.
No. 6
This one’s just for fun. I’m a Philadelphia sports fan. A comedian wrote a social media post that went viral. Now The Philadelphia Inquirer has to tell the world the first mascots of the Phillies were not a “Dancing Dutchman and his rat Chauncey.”
Quote of the Day
“In the 20-odd years since we met, Mr. Putin has charted his course by ditching democratic development for Stalin’s playbook. He has collected political and economic power for himself — co-opting or crushing potential competition — while pushing to re-establish a sphere of Russian dominance through parts of the former Soviet Union. Like other authoritarians, he equates his own well-being with that of the nation and opposition with treason. He is sure that Americans mirror both his cynicism and his lust for power and that in a world where everyone lies, he is under no obligation to tell the truth. Because he believes that the United States dominates its own region by force, he thinks Russia has the same right.” — Madeleine Albright in a February opinion piece in The New York Times
A day off
Pick Six is taking Friday off — see you Monday!
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About
Christopher Six is a passionate advocate of community journalism with more than 30 years in the media, corporate communications and marketing. An award-winning designer, columnist, illustrator, photographer and newsroom leader, he is a respected voice in journalism ethics. A veteran reporter, he has created and taught news writing seminars for community colleges and the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association.
Editor’s Note
Pick Six is published most Mondays-Fridays. Sharing of stories does not equal endorsement, however, personal thoughts and commentary on those stories are 100 percent my own.