Research Paper Topic

Topic:  Standardized Testing: Is it really and accurate measurement of a student's ability and learning aptitude?

Controversy: Many believe that a high IQ or a 2400 on the SAT automatically mean that a person is really smart.  However, the opponents of standardized testing are gaining strength as some colleges no longer even require SAT or ACT scores for admission.  The opponents claim that these tests do not measure intelligence but only show how much money, time and effort the student has put into learning how to take the test.

Resources: I know I've read some articles about standardized testing so I think I'll be able to find quite a few print sources from newspapers and magazines.  Also, I've seen a number of books about standardized testing which I could us.  I'm sure they're plenty of good websites too, although they tend to be more biased.

Emotional Investment: I struggled with the SAT, even though I spent a good amount of time studying.  Last June, I took the ACT with only a few hours of study time and received a score that would be over 300 points higher if converted to the SAT scale.  This led me to believe that doing well on standardized tests involves a lot of luck and practice, rather than intelligence and has motivated me to research it more.

New Idea?:  I don't think my topic is an especially new idea, although it may have been 15 years ago.  I'm sure other AP students have probably written about it or topics like it because it's something so many high school seniors have to deal with.

Questions: I'm worried that my topic may still be to broad.  Should I focus on just one test or would that make it too narrow? I'm also doubtful if I would really be able to say something completely new on my topic and am still worried that my own biases may harm my paper's credibility.