4 ms·

Umm...are high schools authorized to share that kind of information with a giant retailer? What is to stop Amazon, or anyone else who asks, from simply using th

Umm...are high schools authorized to share that kind of information with a giant retailer? What is to stop Amazon, or anyone else who asks, from simply using that data to target its advertising towards children?

srtjstjsj 9y ago
Most of the data is already public: https://blog.prepscholar.com/sat-scores-by-high-school-and-district https://blog.prepscholar.com/sat-scores-by-high-school-and-d...
icebraining 9y ago
I'm assuming they're asking for city-wide averages (they say "statistics" in the article), not individual results.
alehul 9y ago
It's actually public information, at least at a state level. Extrapolating that to the largest city in the state wouldn't be a hard process, and so I don't think it's concerning information if anonymized and aggregated. Also, as a Bostonian, I really hope this will edge us over Atlanta and whatnot, as MA has the highest standardized test scores in the nation. Been waiting for ages for this city to become more of a tech center.
- jessaustin 9y ago
  ISTM housing costs are the big barrier for Boston? Tech companies already know the area has plenty of talent. Expensive housing can be a difficult problem, since lots of vested interests are opposed to any effective solution.
  - mateo411 9y ago
    I think the reason the Boston is not more of a tech center is that MA law supports no compete clauses as condition for employment. CA has high housing prices where the tech industry is located. However, CA does not support no compete clauses for condition for employment.
    - alehul 9y ago
      There are definitely a lot of factors at play (education, etc. etc.), including a preferential attachment model where cities with established startups and funding opportunities will attract new startups. You've really hit the nail on the head, however, as that no-compete clause is, while perhaps even enticing to large companies, very restrictive to new startups. We seem to disproportionately have ideas about and go on some entrepreneurial mission in an area we already know intimately, usually related to our current employment. No-compete clauses destroy that entire basket of opportunities.
      - jessaustin 9y ago
        That seems like a reason that no state besides California would have lots of startups? We're moving the goal posts a bit, however, since thread parent from Boston cares about tech jobs which is not the same as startups.
xkjkls 9y ago
Are there specific products you would be advertised to based on your SAT score?
- AdmiralAsshat 9y ago
  SAT Prep guides, among other things? AP Exam study materials? Books on getting into your desired college?
  - xkjkls 9y ago
    But that's before you take your SATs, not afterwards.
    - AdmiralAsshat 9y ago
      If a school has comparatively high SAT scores, it stands to reason that the kids do SAT prep. Which means even the juniors and seniors are done with theirs, the freshmen and sophomores will be buying materials for the next year.
Liquix 9y ago
I'd imagine it's more content curation (i.e. prime video recommendations) and advertising products the kids would want to the parents in that area. This vein of advertisement is governed by strict 'truth in advertising' standards, but not much else. Amazon has something for everyone and therefore doesn't need to worry about false claims - they just need to know what to put in front of you.
kevindong 9y ago
I think most (but definitely at least some) of the departments of education at the state level release average SAT scores by high school/district annually. MA: https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2018/02/15/here-are-the-mass-highschools-with-the-highest-sat.html https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2018/02/15/here-are-... TX: https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2018/02/26/these-texas-high-schools-have-the-highest-sat.html https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2018/02/26/these-tex... NJ: http://www.nj.com/education/2018/01/the_50_nj_high_schools_with_the_best_sat_scores.html http://www.nj.com/education/2018/01/the_50_nj_high_schools_w... IL: http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-school-report-card-sat-scores-2017-htmlstory.html http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-school-report-card-... IN: https://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/accountability/sat-corporation-and-school-20171113.xlsx https://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/accountability/sa... VA: http://www.nbc12.com/story/33261679/look-sat-scores-show-wide-gaps-in-central-va-school-districts http://www.nbc12.com/story/33261679/look-sat-scores-show-wid... CA: http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/ http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/
Pulcinella 9y ago
Teacher here. Whether or not schools are authorized to share information like that, companies ask all the time. I get tons of junk mail sent directly to me at school (as does every other teacher) asking for student names, DOB, address, etc. or for me to give the students the forms directly for them to fill out and then mail back. It’s usually for very sketchy “scholarship” or “study abroad” opportunities (from companies and organizations no one has ever heard of and the return address is some random PO box in Deleware.) Sometimes, however, it’s from straight up marketing companies. The vast majority of teachers throw these things straight in the trash but some teachers will fill out any form they are given...

srtjstjsj 9y ago

Most of the data is already public: https://blog.prepscholar.com/sat-scores-by-high-school-and-district https://blog.prepscholar.com/sat-scores-by-high-school-and-d...

icebraining 9y ago

I'm assuming they're asking for city-wide averages (they say "statistics" in the article), not individual results.

alehul 9y ago

It's actually public information, at least at a state level. Extrapolating that to the largest city in the state wouldn't be a hard process, and so I don't think it's concerning information if anonymized and aggregated. Also, as a Bostonian, I really hope this will edge us over Atlanta and whatnot, as MA has the highest standardized test scores in the nation. Been waiting for ages for this city to become more of a tech center.

jessaustin 9y ago
ISTM housing costs are the big barrier for Boston? Tech companies already know the area has plenty of talent. Expensive housing can be a difficult problem, since lots of vested interests are opposed to any effective solution.
- mateo411 9y ago
  I think the reason the Boston is not more of a tech center is that MA law supports no compete clauses as condition for employment. CA has high housing prices where the tech industry is located. However, CA does not support no compete clauses for condition for employment.
  - alehul 9y ago
    There are definitely a lot of factors at play (education, etc. etc.), including a preferential attachment model where cities with established startups and funding opportunities will attract new startups. You've really hit the nail on the head, however, as that no-compete clause is, while perhaps even enticing to large companies, very restrictive to new startups. We seem to disproportionately have ideas about and go on some entrepreneurial mission in an area we already know intimately, usually related to our current employment. No-compete clauses destroy that entire basket of opportunities.
    - jessaustin 9y ago
      That seems like a reason that no state besides California would have lots of startups? We're moving the goal posts a bit, however, since thread parent from Boston cares about tech jobs which is not the same as startups.

xkjkls 9y ago

Are there specific products you would be advertised to based on your SAT score?

AdmiralAsshat 9y ago
SAT Prep guides, among other things? AP Exam study materials? Books on getting into your desired college?
- xkjkls 9y ago
  But that's before you take your SATs, not afterwards.
  - AdmiralAsshat 9y ago
    If a school has comparatively high SAT scores, it stands to reason that the kids do SAT prep. Which means even the juniors and seniors are done with theirs, the freshmen and sophomores will be buying materials for the next year.

Liquix 9y ago

I'd imagine it's more content curation (i.e. prime video recommendations) and advertising products the kids would want to the parents in that area. This vein of advertisement is governed by strict 'truth in advertising' standards, but not much else. Amazon has something for everyone and therefore doesn't need to worry about false claims - they just need to know what to put in front of you.

kevindong 9y ago

I think most (but definitely at least some) of the departments of education at the state level release average SAT scores by high school/district annually. MA: https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2018/02/15/here-are-the-mass-highschools-with-the-highest-sat.html https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2018/02/15/here-are-... TX: https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2018/02/26/these-texas-high-schools-have-the-highest-sat.html https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2018/02/26/these-tex... NJ: http://www.nj.com/education/2018/01/the_50_nj_high_schools_with_the_best_sat_scores.html http://www.nj.com/education/2018/01/the_50_nj_high_schools_w... IL: http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-school-report-card-sat-scores-2017-htmlstory.html http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-school-report-card-... IN: https://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/accountability/sat-corporation-and-school-20171113.xlsx https://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/accountability/sa... VA: http://www.nbc12.com/story/33261679/look-sat-scores-show-wide-gaps-in-central-va-school-districts http://www.nbc12.com/story/33261679/look-sat-scores-show-wid... CA: http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/ http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/

Pulcinella 9y ago

Teacher here. Whether or not schools are authorized to share information like that, companies ask all the time. I get tons of junk mail sent directly to me at school (as does every other teacher) asking for student names, DOB, address, etc. or for me to give the students the forms directly for them to fill out and then mail back. It’s usually for very sketchy “scholarship” or “study abroad” opportunities (from companies and organizations no one has ever heard of and the return address is some random PO box in Deleware.) Sometimes, however, it’s from straight up marketing companies. The vast majority of teachers throw these things straight in the trash but some teachers will fill out any form they are given...