Things have been heating up in the test-prep industry as more and more frenzied parents pay providers to help their kids boost their SAT or ACT scores.
Yesterday it was announced that the College Board, the not-for-profit (but very profitable) organization responsible for administering the SAT (among other tests) is suing a Texas test-prep company for using “stolen” PSAT questions.
Karen Dillard, owner of the Dallas-area test-prep company, claims that the College Board is bullying her in an effort to put her out of business. Dillard’s company charges over $2,000 for her test-prep package.
There’s no question that the College Board has a sweet deal: providing tests and test-prep materials to thousands of anxious college-bound students in an era of increasing competition and soaring college expenses. They have every right to protect their product. And though the College Board isn’t directly responsible for the burgeoning college prep industry, it’s certainly played a pivotal role in fanning the flames that have led to the test-prep wildfire that is raging throughout the country.
It will be interesting to watch this case over the next few months.
2 Comments
February 22, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Exactly. An low and behold College Board has discovered that test prep is yet another arm of business they can monopolize in the test industry and THAT is why they want to run Karen Dillard out of business.
February 24, 2008 at 12:28 am
College Board has no legit backing on their case. I am a student there and I see with my own eyes teachers that work there every afternoon creating tests solely for the purpose of Karen Dillard’s. College Board is only utilizing their excess PROFIT to wave a flag to all other test prep companies that THEY are the ones that should rule the industry, which is completely wrong since their blue book barely teaches anything worth reading. Down with College Board, everyone hates you and you know it.