Leading the Way - New York State Association for College Admission Counseling

Section III. Standardized College Admission Testing

Members accept the principle that fairness in testing practices should govern all institutional policies. Because test results can never be a precise measurement of human potential, members commit themselves to practices that eliminate bias of any kind, provide equal access, and consider tests as only one measure in admission/counseling practices.

1. will use test scores and related data discretely and for purposes that are appropriate and validated.
2. will provide prospective students with accurate and complete information about the use of test scores in the admission process.
3. will refrain from using minimum test scores as the sole criterion for admission, thereby denying certain students because of small differences in scores.
4. will use test scores in conjunction with other data such as school record, recommendations, and other relevant information in making decisions.
5. will educate staff in understanding the concepts of test measurement, test interpretation, and test use so they may make informed admission decisions from the test data.
6. will maintain the confidentiality of test scores.
7. will publicize clearly policies relating to placement by tests, awarding of credit, and other policies based on test results.
8. will, in the reporting of test scores, report first on all first-year admitted or enrolled students, or both, including special subgroups (e.g., athletes, nonnative speakers) and then, if they wish, may present separately the score characteristics of special subgroup populations. Universities with more than one undergraduate division may report first by division and then by special subgroups within divisions. Clear explanations of who is included in the subgroup population should be made. Those institutions that do not require tests or for which tests are optional will only report scores if the institution clearly and emphatically states the limits of the group being reported.
9. should conduct institutional research to in- quire into the most appropriate use of tests for admission decisions.
10. should counsel students to take only a reasonable number of tests and only those necessary for their postsecondary plans.
11. should refrain from the public reporting of mean and median admission test scores and instead, depending upon the requested information, report scores by any or all of the following methods
    1. middle 50 percent of the scores of all first-year applicants.
    2. middle 50 percent of the scores of all first-year students admitted.
    3. middle 50 percent of the scores of all first-year students enrolled.
    4. appropriate score bands for all first-year students applied, admitted, and enrolled.

1. will release and report test scores only with students' consent.
2. will avoid comparing colleges and universities solely on the basis of test scores.
3. will work with other school officials and other groups to keep test results confidential and in perspective.
4. will, in the reporting of test scores, report on all students within a discrete class (e.g., freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) who participated in college admission testing.
5. should avoid undue emphasis on test scores as a measure of students' potential and ability when representing students to colleges and universities.
6. should inform students about what tests they need for admission, where they may take them, and how to interpret the results in their own contexts.
7. should be knowledgeable about the limitations of standardized tests and counsel students with these limitations in mind.
8. should inform students about the use and validity of test scores, both for admission and as measures of potential and ability.
9. should counsel students and families on how test scores may be used in the admission process by colleges and universities.
10. should counsel students to take only a reasonable number of those tests necessary for their postsecondary plans, without regard to the impact the test results may have on the school profile report.
11. should counsel students and families about data, other than test results, that may be submitted as part of the application process.
12. should counsel students about test preparation programs and inform them about alternative programs and/or approaches.
13. should refrain from the public reporting of mean and median admission test scores and instead, report scores by either or both of the following:
    1. middle 50 percent of all students tested by discrete grade level.
    2. appropriate score bands of all students tested by discrete grade level.

1. will release and report test scores only with students' consent.
2. will avoid comparing colleges and universities solely on the basis of test scores.
3. will avoid undue emphasis on test scores as a measure of students' potential and ability when representing students to colleges and universities.
4. will work with other school officials and other groups to keep test results confidential and in perspective.
5. should inform students about what tests they need for admission, where they may take them, and how to interpret the results in their own contexts.
6. should be knowledgeable about the limitations of standardized tests and counsel students with these limitations in mind.
7. should inform students about the use and validity of test scores, both for admission and as measures of potential and ability.
8. should counsel students and families on how test scores may be used in the admission process by colleges and universities.
9. should counsel students to take only a reasonable number of tests and only those necessary for their postsecondary plans.
10. should counsel students and families about data, other than test results, that may be submitted as part of the application process.
11. should counsel students about test preparation programs and inform them about alternative programs and/or approaches.

D. All other members providing college admission counseling and/or testing services to students agree to adhere to the principles in this Statement.