eta150 wrote:The problems mentioned above make implementation of standardized testing very unlikely. How would the “top 60 teams from each division be determined?
If they wanted to have the most competitive possible national tournament, the "standardized" test results would be compiled into a national pool, resulting in the top 60 teams nationally moving on.
I had written a rant, but I feel like being concise. Here is an outline of why the current system is superior to any all star team or standardized test/national regionals idea.
-If you have a "nationals-regionals" with standardized tests in which the 60 best teams go to nationals then... -There is no need for nationals, you already have national rankings of all teams.
-People will whine that it is unfair who makes it to "national-regionals" because some states and regions are more competitive, so getting spots still harder than in some places than other places.
-Standardized testing is impractical because... -For building events you would need near identical floors, ceilings, ceiling heights, air currents, temperatures, humidities, etc. for things to be fair.
-You would need identical weather, or else it would be unfair to people who, lets say have their sounds go out of tune because they needed to run through the rain.
-You would need multiple schools across the country to agree on a single date, and be provided with event supervisors with similar knowledge of the test being given and the subject at hand, all who are equally willing to provide help in explaining a question that may be badly worded.
-You would not be able to get these venues to agree on one date because they all have different things going on.
-Sending the tests all over the country could result in leaks.
-National-regionals are impractical because... -There isn't time in the year.
-They increase the cost pressure on individual schools by increasing travel expenses for the year.
-Making it there would be no more "fair".
-Any extra competitions require extra money. You can't run these competitions for free.
-You may not be able to find people willing and able to run all events at the designated times in all of the different locations across the country creating complications.
-All star teams are faulty because they... -Make it hard to organize things.
-Cost too much.
-Increase cost pressure on school districts.
-Best on the test at the competition still doesn't mean best in the state (It can, but if you've been to as many competitions as I have, you will realize this is fare from always the case.)
-They go against the spirit of Science Olympiad by diminishing the influence of teamwork.
-They go against the pro-teamwork beliefs of most educators.
-They encourage teams not to try to strive in all areas, but to strive in one or two areas so they can make it to nationals.
-They make nationals too big and expensive.
Great reasons there too.
and so on, and so on...
The current system is...-Cost effective
-Working
-Tried and true
-No more unfair than any other system
-Practical
-Easy to organize (Well at least in comparison to other systems.)
etc.