|
Grex > Aaypsi > #19: Midwest Talent Search / Center for Talent Development | |
|
| Author |
Message |
rcurl
|
|
Midwest Talent Search / Center for Talent Development
| 
Sep 30 05:52 UTC 1993 |
Our daughter brought home information and application for MTSY - "Midwest
Talent Search for Young Students" - provided by the enrichment facilitator
at Tappen Middle School. It offers an "opportunity" to, first, apply
to MTSY for $19, which puts you on a mailing list for academic summer
programs and camps, correspondence courses, etc "designed for gifted
and talented learners", and the opportunity to apply to take the PLUS
examination conducted by the Center for Talent Development, for $35,
(late fee +$15). After taking the exam, your child gets an invitation
to a "day-long awards ceremony".
The covering letter from Tappen says "This is a program for middle
school students to take the SAT." This appears not to be true. The
CTD/MTSY literature says PLUS is "created by...(ETS), the same
organization that developed SAT....".
The application form requests a lot of information about parental
income, education, jobs, etc.
My interpretation of all this is that it is a money making scheme that
plays upon parental desires for success of their children, by offering
a lot of information (and putting you on mailing lists) which can be
obtained free elsewhere, and the PLUS test is really a hoax to make
it all look important and official. At most, it provides some lists
of camps, courses etc, which parents might not have thought of looking
for themselves, but which could be found essentially for free, instead
of for $54.
Are there any other opinions? Should the Ann Arbor Public Schools be
playing into the hands of CTD/MTSY, without a more thorough analysis
of exactly what it all means and provides, and *where else the same
information is available for free*?
Oh yes, the initial application ($19) provides one year free access
to CTDNet ("a gopher server on the Internet"), at 708-467-CTDN. $40
per year thereafter.
|
| 18 responses total. |
scg
|
|
response 1 of 18:
|
Oct 1 03:43 UTC 1993 |
My brother and I were both sent the information by this orginization when
we were in middle school. I decided that it was a bunch of bull and didn't
take the test; he didn't. After taking the test, he did decide to skip the
awards cerimony and the summer camps. When we were involved (my brother was
last year), it was the SAT that was taken.
|
srw
|
|
response 2 of 18:
|
Oct 1 05:39 UTC 1993 |
My kids both did this while in middle school. They took the real SAT
with high school students. There was none of this extra stuff like
awards, although a small percentage of the kids (not mine) did well
enough on the SAT to be eligible for some summer program. I think
the whole operation was affiliated with Northwestern University. It
definitely was not a scam. It definitely *was* the Midwest Talent
Search of 6 and 10 years ago. It did not cost much more than the SAT
application as I recall.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 3 of 18:
|
Oct 1 13:09 UTC 1993 |
What did you see as the value in your kids taking an examination for
$54, which would not be reported or used like the SAT, when you already
knew they were smart?
|
srw
|
|
response 4 of 18:
|
Oct 1 14:18 UTC 1993 |
I thought the experience might help them deal with standardized tests
better.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 5 of 18:
|
Oct 1 23:17 UTC 1993 |
You can probably get a used SAT (or equivalent) free. Set them down,
set a time limit, and offer a prize if they get above x.
|
srw
|
|
response 6 of 18:
|
Oct 2 04:31 UTC 1993 |
That's partly valid, but it's not the same. The experience is quite
different when you are in a classroom.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 7 of 18:
|
Oct 2 05:59 UTC 1993 |
I may not see it because I never had exam fear (and my daughter appears
to share that trait). I can't imagine "practicing" for an exam, as
distinct from studying. Well, maybe a flight exam ;-).
In fact, it strikes me faintly as cheating to practice on a look (feel) alike
exam, when the purpose of the exam is to test your talents, not your
exampersonship. Others may differ.
|
srw
|
|
response 8 of 18:
|
Oct 2 06:29 UTC 1993 |
The pupose of those exams is to measure your talents.
What they do is measure your talents and lots of other things, like
your exampersonship (nice word, btw). Are you saying that it is
cheating to try to improve your exampersonship? Why?
|
rcurl
|
|
response 9 of 18:
|
Oct 2 06:52 UTC 1993 |
It is not so much that I think it is cheating, but that it is injurious
to one's dignity. Though it is slightly cheating, as it provides prior
knowledge of some aspects of the exam. I would not see this in it, if
it were required (Part 1, and Part 2, even if Part 1 didn't count, but
had to be taken). But since it is voluntary, if you are wealthy enough,
those that decline through poverty or dignity, are placed at a
disadvantage. That creates a sense of being intimidated to take the
exam, a sense that increases my stubborness. To be levered into this
position by a for-profit enterprise is a form of manipulation, which
many self-respecting people would reject, even if it were to their nominal
advantage. It even increases my sense of indignation thinking about it.
|
srw
|
|
response 10 of 18:
|
Oct 2 20:37 UTC 1993 |
When my kids took the exam it was sponsored by Northwestern University.
The cost was very nominal. No one was intimidated. I don't understand
your attitude.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 11 of 18:
|
Oct 3 06:35 UTC 1993 |
My attitude arises from it being an evident scam. I am sure you could
obtain the same information CTD is selling here, free from the library.
It doesn't cost $54 to give and score an exam. Those buying, receive
a year's free CDNET use - by long distance phone, and 90% of more would
not use this, so its all gravy for CTD. It is, however, a very *clever*
scam, undoubtedly legal, using the name of Northwestern, and all very
official looking. I am sure the perpretrators are laughing all the way
to the bank.
|
popcorn
|
|
response 12 of 18:
|
Oct 17 00:33 UTC 1993 |
This response has been erased.
|
dana
|
|
response 13 of 18:
|
Nov 17 00:00 UTC 1993 |
Children who take the SAT earlier, usually come from wealthy families,
and take it for "practice". I believe, they also become better at
taking a standarized test without necessarilly becoming smarter more
intelligent or more capable humans away from the standardized tests.
It is my opinion, that this is unfair to those without the opportunity
or money to take the test as frequently.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 14 of 18:
|
Nov 17 00:41 UTC 1993 |
It was similar eqalitarian impulses that led me to enter this item. Why
can't the schools offer essentially identical tests for "practice", if
that were considered pedagogically worthwhile? Personally, I don't think
it is, for reasons alluded to by dana. I would rather make it on the basis
of my ability and study, rather than try to "scope" the exam.
|
popcorn
|
|
response 15 of 18:
|
Jan 27 19:35 UTC 1994 |
This response has been erased.
|
kami
|
|
response 16 of 18:
|
Jan 28 05:16 UTC 1994 |
I thought taking such tests was fun- kind of an adrenalin rush, and I got off
on finishing early and feeling superior to the other kids who were panicking.
Not very charitable. Bright kids my ass!- who's paying for the bright poor
kids? the bright kids who's parents don't care or don't believe in showing
off? it's for rich kids whose parents think they're smart.
|
headdoc
|
|
response 17 of 18:
|
Feb 1 20:31 UTC 1994 |
You sure don't have test anxiety, kami.
|
kami
|
|
response 18 of 18:
|
Feb 2 03:42 UTC 1994 |
never! one problem: I test so well that I couldn't convince teachers I was
really lost and needed help with my math. I STILL wish I could learn it.
|