An NPR Morning Edition article on a large study puts SAT and ACT standardized test scores in a real-world, practical context. Read the full article here. Here are the highlights:

• SAT/ACT testing is not exactly a fair way to show skills.
• what happens when you admit tens of thousands of students without looking at their SAT scores – the answer is – if they have good high school grades, they’re almost certainly going to be fine.
• There was virtually no difference in grades and graduation rates between test “submitters” and “nonsubmitters.” Just 0.05 percent of a GPA point separated the students who submitted their scores to admissions offices and those who did not.
• And college graduation rates for “nonsubmitters” were just 0.6 percent lower than those students who submitted their test scores.
• High school grades matter — a lot.
• Kids who had low or modest test scores, but good high school grades, did better in college than those with good scores but modest grades.
• The study covered 123,000 students at 33 institutions over eight years; the conclusion: test-optional admissions improves diversity [and] does not undermine academic quality.
• SAT/ACT testing may be discouraging students who have great potential for success [from applying to] a particular school,
• The private test preparation market for the SAT and the ACT is a $2 billion-a-year industry in the U.S. Critics of the tests have long said the exams better reflect a family’s income and a student’s speed at test-taking than aptitude, competency or intelligence.