Equitable Use of ISEE Scores
As schools continue to evaluate the role of assessment in the admission process, it is more important than ever to focus on best practices for the equitable use of ISEE.
The events of the past few years have caused a seismic shift in many schools’ use of admission testing. For some schools, the limited access to admission testing during the pandemic led to test-blind or test-optional policies. For others, the concerns raised about fairness and equity in admission testing (informed by trends in higher education) led to the elimination of the use of admission testing in their process.
My experience as an admission professional of 30+ years informed my belief that admission assessment is critical in the independent school admission process; however, the assessment must be used carefully, thoughtfully, and within a comprehensive process that includes both objective and subjective measures.
Admission assessment is the one objective measure in an inherently subjective process that is difficult, if not impossible, to replace. If schools employ a “gateway” philosophy (i.e., look for reasons to admit a student) as opposed to a “gatekeeper” philosophy (i.e., look for reasons to deny admission to a student), admission assessment is a critical tool that enables them to enroll a diverse group of mission-appropriate students who will succeed in their school.
It is fair for admission professionals to ask “How can we ensure that our use of ISEE in our admission process is fair and unbiased? How can we actually look for reasons to admit a student and employ a gateway approach?”
Below are some key points of focus for any school’s admission committee on the equitable use of ISEE scores in your process:
- As we have already said, admission assessment is an objective measure in an inherently subjective process.. However, an ISEE test score should not be used as the sole determinant of an admission decision. Admission officials should consider ISEE scores along with multiple sources of information, including students’ coursework and grades, letters of recommendation from teachers, personal statements, interviews, and observations during school visits. These are important sources of insight for determining an applicant’s fit for a school.
- ISEE scores should also be considered within the overall context of the student’s application. How strong is the student’s current school? What opportunities for learning has the student had outside of their school community? Does the student have adults who support them in their educational journey? Questions such as these can bring important information to the forefront of an admission decision.
- Students applying to independent schools are often high achieving. Therefore, ISEE norm groups are generally made up of competitive students. Admission teams must understand the overall range of ISEE scores. In addition, admission professionals and committee members should be familiar with the skills measured by the ISEE test. This allows them to weigh section scores as they consider a student’s fit with their school’s curriculum.
- The ISEE is designed to showcase a student’s strengths in different areas; each subscore measures a unique aspect of a student’s readiness for an independent school. A composite score, consisting of each subscore added together, lacks this information and should not be used. ERB advises that schools consider each subscore when evaluating a candidate’s fit for a school, rather than creating a less-illuminating composite score. Over time, attention to ISEE subscores allows admission officials to track how well those scores align with academic performance at their own school.
- Students may take the ISEE once per testing season (Fall, Winter, and Spring). Research on college admission supports the efficacy of “super scoring,” or using the best score from each section across multiple testing events. These higher subscores reflect that retaking the test is a predictor of successful outcomes. This practice can be applied to ISEE test scores and we recommend using the best subscores from each ISEE test taken.
ERB is embracing the future of admission assessment as part of an overall admission process focused on equity for all. Following these best practices regarding the use of ISEE in your process can help center equity in the admission committee discussions at your school.
For more information on how you can equitably use the ISEE as a part of your school’s admission process, read about ERB’s NextGen Admission initiative.
Molly Green
Molly Moore Green is the Senior Director, Admission Programs for ERB. Previously, she worked for 32 years at Severn School in Maryland with responsibilities in all aspects of independent school management. Her roles at the school included Director of Alumni/Annual Giving, middle school English teacher, Director of Admissions/Financial Aid, Director of Summer Programs, Director of External Relations, Director of Advancement, and Director of Enrollment and Outreach, with many years of overall responsibility for the public relations, communication, admission/enrollment, and other revenue generating departments of the school. She believes in the power of data to help schools make better decisions on behalf of students.
