DGS49
Diamond Member
Research Finds that High School GPAs Are Stronger Predictors of College Graduation than ACT Scores
Read the article closely. The stated/purported conclusions are literally unbelievable. Not believable. The fact that the authors are both woman-academicians doesn't help. My B.S. meter is approaching the Red Zone.
Reading the title of the article and some of the quotes, one would THINK that they are saying that High School GPA is a better predictor of college performance than the ACT (and presumably the SAT). Pretty incredible, right?
If this were TRUE, then one could conclude that, for example, a student with a 4-point-something GPA from a "failing" inner city school is more likely to graduate college than, say, a student from the best public school in the state (wealthy tax base, and all that) with a 3.0 GPA.
But I don't think that's what the findings are. I think they are finding that between two students FROM THE SAME or a very comparable school, if one of them has "high" grades and another one has "low" grades, the student with higher grades is more likely to graduate than the other one. Not controversial at all. The counter-claim is that the same relationship doesn't hold true for "high" ACT scores vs. "low" ACT scores - as it pertains to the percentage likelihood of ultimately graduating.
On the other hand, grades cannot be presumed equally valid when earned in divergent schools. A "good" GPA from a "failing" school is nearly worthless. Coupled with a "good" ACT score it is still of questionable value. Unlike what is implied by the title of the article.
The ACT/SAT have long been known to indicate a student's ABILITY to do high-level college work. They have never claimed to predict college PERFORMANCE. Indeed, college counselors have long been wary of students with high SAT's & mediocre high school grades
Read the article closely. The stated/purported conclusions are literally unbelievable. Not believable. The fact that the authors are both woman-academicians doesn't help. My B.S. meter is approaching the Red Zone.
Reading the title of the article and some of the quotes, one would THINK that they are saying that High School GPA is a better predictor of college performance than the ACT (and presumably the SAT). Pretty incredible, right?
If this were TRUE, then one could conclude that, for example, a student with a 4-point-something GPA from a "failing" inner city school is more likely to graduate college than, say, a student from the best public school in the state (wealthy tax base, and all that) with a 3.0 GPA.
But I don't think that's what the findings are. I think they are finding that between two students FROM THE SAME or a very comparable school, if one of them has "high" grades and another one has "low" grades, the student with higher grades is more likely to graduate than the other one. Not controversial at all. The counter-claim is that the same relationship doesn't hold true for "high" ACT scores vs. "low" ACT scores - as it pertains to the percentage likelihood of ultimately graduating.
On the other hand, grades cannot be presumed equally valid when earned in divergent schools. A "good" GPA from a "failing" school is nearly worthless. Coupled with a "good" ACT score it is still of questionable value. Unlike what is implied by the title of the article.
The ACT/SAT have long been known to indicate a student's ABILITY to do high-level college work. They have never claimed to predict college PERFORMANCE. Indeed, college counselors have long been wary of students with high SAT's & mediocre high school grades