How Much Does it Really Matter?

This past week, the students at Montpelier High School took the PSAT during the day.  It was the first time, as normally this practice test is administered on a Saturday.  Seeing our students huddled over their score sheets, filling in bubbles and squares with their number 2 pencils brought me back to my own experience with this standardized test.  

Growing up I was a good student, earning mostly Bs with the occasional A.  I had to work hard to earn these grades, school did not come easily to me.  I needed to study substantially more than my classmates, at least more than they reported they did.  

Then it came time to take the PSAT and the SAT during high school.  I figured because I worked hard, studied regularly, I would do "well" on these tests.  Boy, was I wrong.  

Back when I took the SAT (yes, it was a few years ago) there were only two parts.  They were each worth 800 points each for a possible score of 1,600.  The first time I took the SAT, I didn't break 1,000.  I took them again and still failed to break 1,000.  It took me three times - with a SAT prep course in between - to break the 1,000 point mark.  

What was most troubling to me was the classmates I had who regularly reported they didn't study, who didn't typically turn in homework earning scores of 1,200, 1,300, even 1,400 or more.  What was I doing wrong?  Worse, what did this mean for my future?

As it turned out, my SAT scores had very little to do with my future.  I had an excellent guidance counselor during my sophomore and junior year who helped me thoughtfully apply to six colleges (2 safety, 2 in the ballpark and 2 "reach" schools) based on my overall body of work (his words, not mine).  When I pointed out that I barely broke 1,000 on my SATs, my counselor let me know that those scores were just one aspect for an admissions counselor to review.  

I earned acceptance to each college I applied to, despite my SAT scores.  Turns out, the SATs were just one point on my educational journey and for the admissions counselors at the schools I applied to, they were not a deterrent based on the rest of my application.  Yet at that time, I felt an enormous amount of pressure to perform on this one test.  So much was riding on those scores, or so I thought.  

I've been privileged to work in three high schools, including Montpelier High School during my almost 20 years in education.  Each school I've worked in has administered the PSAT and the SAT exams to students.  When the inevitable conversation has come up with either students or adults, I'm proud to share that it took me three times to break 1,000, back when there were only two parts on the SAT.  While it was important to me then, I had a great counselor who helped me keep it in perspective.  

Today, I'm able to look back at that time in my life and chuckle at the high school version of me, worried about one score on one test.  I'm able to chuckle knowing that I'm happily married for more than 11 years, the proud daddy of two growing boys, and serving in educational leadership with some of the finest individuals in the state of Vermont.  My SATs scores had so very little to do with all of that.  So how much does it really matter?

I hope we're able to help our students today and those in the coming years keep these single assessments in perspective.  Our responsibility in education is to make sure our students feel safe and included when they come to school so that they can learn to their fullest potential.  As long as we do that, no one score on any assessment will dictate their future.