In a sudden reversal, Harvard College will reinstate its standardized testing requirement, meaning students will once again have to take the SAT or ACT to be accepted.
The surprise decision <a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/4/11/harvard-sat-act-admissions-requirement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comes</a> after Harvard previously said it would remain test-optional through the class of 2030. The Ivy League school first introduced the test-optional policy during the pandemic.
The new policy means any undergraduate applicants who were not planning on taking a test may have to work quickly to get their tests scheduled before the application deadlines later this year.
“Standardized tests are a means for all students, regardless of their background and life experience, to provide information that is predictive of success in college and beyond,” Harvard&#8217;s Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi Hoekstra said in a <a href="https://www.fas.harvard.edu/2024/04/11/return-to-required-testing/">statement</a>.
“More information, especially such strongly predictive information, is valuable for identifying talent from across the socioeconomic range,” Hoekstra said. “With this change, we hope to strengthen our ability to identify these promising students.”
The decision also comes after several other Ivy League universities, Yale, Dartmouth, and Brown brought back their testing requirement as well. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology also <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2022/stuart-schmill-sat-act-requirement-0328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reinstated</a> its standardized test requirement back in 2022.
At least two Ivy Leagues, however, have <a href="https://admissions.cornell.edu/policies/standardized-testing-policy#:~:text=Cornell%20University%20Extends%20Test%2DOptional,SAT%20or%20ACT%20exam%20scores." target="_blank" rel="noopener">extended</a> their test-optional policy — Cornell and Columbia, which said its new policy is <a href="https://www.highereddive.com/news/columbia-university-becomes-first-ivy-league-institution-to-go-permanently/643947/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">permanent</a>.
Despite optional testing, the majority of Harvard undergrads have submitted standardized test scores anyway, the school said.
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In announcing the new testing policy, Harvard referenced a Harvard-affiliated study that found SAT scores are a stronger predictor of college success than a high school student&#8217;s grade point average.
After COVID restrictions were lifted, Ivy League schools were criticized for extending the suspension of their test requirement. At the same time, others praised the move saying it could help more minorities get accepted to prestigious schools.
The argument that standardized testing hurts minority students has become more popular in recent years.
In 2020, the entire 10-school University of California system <a href="https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/university-california-board-regents-unanimously-approved-changes-standardized-testing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> to permanently get rid of standardized tests. The move came after a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/10/us/sat-act-uc-lawsuit.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> from students claiming the tests are racist and biased against disabled students. New York University, George Washington University, and University of Chicago have also joined the ranks of those that <a href="https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/colleges-that-dont-require-sat-or-act/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allow</a> students to skip the tests.
However, others argue the tests actually help minority students.
Harvard economist David Deming, one of the economists behind the Harvard study, <a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/4/11/harvard-sat-act-admissions-requirement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the tests are the “fairest admissions policy for disadvantaged applicants.”
“Not everyone can hire an expensive college coach to help them craft a personal essay. But everyone has the chance to ace the SAT or the ACT,” Deming said.

pencil and eraser on test answer sheet, with question booklet

Harvard Reverses Course, Will Require Standardized Testing Again

American Universities

College

Education

Harvard

Ivy League

Testing

Last week, Columbia University became the first Ivy League school to permanently scrap its standardized test requirement, allowing hopeful applicants to skip the dreaded SAT and ACT.
The move makes the prestigious New York City school the latest in a string of elite institutions to move away from the tests as the argument that standardized testing harms minority students picks up steam. Previously, a low SAT or ACT score meant automatic elimination at many top-tier schools.
In a March 1 <a href="https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/columbia-test-optional" target="_blank" rel="noopener">release,</a> Columbia University wrote that &#8220;students are dynamic, multi-faceted individuals who cannot be defined by any single factor.&#8221; The admissions process respects the &#8220;varied backgrounds, voices and experiences&#8221; of students in order to determine whether a student will thrive at the school, Columbia said. Students may still submit test scores, but those who do not will not be at a disadvantage.
During the pandemic, many universities — including Harvard and Princeton — jumped at the chance to indefinitely suspend their standardized test admission requirements while in-person testing was on hold. Now, some like Columbia don&#8217;t want to go back.
In 2020, the entire 10-school University of California system <a href="https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/university-california-board-regents-unanimously-approved-changes-standardized-testing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> to permanently get rid of standardized tests. The move came after a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/10/us/sat-act-uc-lawsuit.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> from students claiming the tests are racist and biased against disabled students. New York University, Cornell College, George Washington University, and University of Chicago have also joined the ranks of those that <a href="https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/colleges-that-dont-require-sat-or-act/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allow</a> students to skip the tests.
This fall, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2022/11/15/more-than-80-of-four-year-colleges-wont-require-standardized--tests-for-fall-2023-admissions/?sh=760c3bd17fb9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than 80%</a> of undergraduate colleges will not require ACT or SAT scores from students, according to one estimate.
The SAT and ACT are also not the only standardized tests schools are ditching over &#8220;equity&#8221; concerns. Dozens of law schools have <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/lsat-optional-law-school-admissions-hit-snag-with-aba-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrapped</a> their LSAT test requirement. Advocates are even <a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/2019/09/its-time-to-abolish-the-mcat.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushing</a> for medical schools to stop requiring the MCAT, alarming critics who worry that schools could end up graduating less qualified doctors, putting patients at risk.
The argument that standardized tests are inherently racist has given rise to eyebrow-raising explanations for why minority students on the whole <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2019/09/24/minority-and-first-generation-sat-scores-fall-behind" target="_blank" rel="noopener">do worse</a> on these tests. Black students perform poorly on standardized tests because they fear incorrect answers will confirm negative stereotypes about their race — they perform badly because they&#8217;re afraid of performing badly, essentially — a 2011 Stanford University study <a href="https://www.bet.com/article/cuz1xn/why-do-black-students-perform-poorly-on-standardized-tests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a>.
A more plausible explanation is that minority students <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/09/03/sat-scores-drop-and-racial-gaps-remain-large" target="_blank" rel="noopener">often come</a> from low-income backgrounds and neighborhoods where students may not have support systems or quality schools helping them prepare well for the test.
Now, a new deadline has turned up the pressure on schools to get rid of standardized tests.
The Supreme Court is preparing to rule against affirmative action this summer. This means universities will have to find new ways to keep their student body diverse, like eliminating standardized testing.
The high court is widely expected to rule in June that affirmative action is unconstitutional and racist in a pair of cases involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina. A group called Students for Fair Admissions <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scotus-hinting-it-might-throw-out-affirmative-action-used-in-college-admissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> the schools, accusing them of unfairly factoring race into their admissions process. The group pointed to the high test scores of Asian-American and white applicants who were rejected.
Universities, including selective ones, are scrambling to find ways to replace affirmative action.
Cornell has <a href="https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2022/12/pollack-establishes-task-force-undergraduate-admissions#:~:text=Cornell%20joined%20other%20institutions%20in%20filing%20amicus%20briefs,the%20admissions%20offices%20supporting%20each%20college%20and%20school." target="_blank" rel="noopener">established</a> a task force to figure out how to recruit diverse classes if the Supreme Court nixes affirmative action. The University of California system board of regents banned affirmative action back in 1995, so UC <a href="https://edsource.org/2020/dropping-affirmative-action-had-huge-impact-on-californias-public-universities/642437" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adopted</a> roundabout ways of trying to identify minority students such as poor neighborhoods and family income. Some schools may now follow in UC&#8217;s footsteps.
Hans Bader, a longtime civil rights lawyer who worked in the federal Office for Civil Rights, said schools are trying to &#8220;reduce reliance on merit-based criteria&#8221; ahead of the ruling.
&#8220;They hope that by doing so, the number of admitted black applicants will increase as a result,&#8221; Bader told The Daily Wire. &#8220;They hope that will offset the result of the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling, which could make it much harder for them to give an overt racial preference to black applicants in admissions, and thus could reduce the number of admitted black applicants significantly.&#8221;
&#8220;Their students will be dumber as a result,&#8221; Bader predicted.

SAT College Exams To Undergo Major Changes

Universities Scrap SAT, Scramble To Stay Diverse Ahead Of Affirmative Action Ruling

Affirmative Action

Princeton University

Supreme Court

U.S.

University of California

Californians are bewildered by sustained <a href="https://edsource.org/2022/chronic-absences-rise-to-record-levels-in-california-but-so-do-graduation-rates/682943" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chronic absenteeism among public school students</a>. In January of 2023, over 27,000 out of the 98,000, or <a href="https://inewsource.org/2023/01/25/san-diego-unified-students-are-missing-school-at-alarming-rates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">28% of students enrolled in San Diego Unified</a>, were considered chronically absent in California’s second-largest school district. This represents a sudden, staggering increase from pre-2020 levels, which were relatively stable, going back years, at around 10-12% of the student population. The lockdown and illness era are in the rearview mirror, yet students continue to stay home in significant numbers regularly. 
Popular explanations point to RSV, COVID, and flu outbreaks. However, a few simple data points undermine that as a primary cause of this phenomenon. For example, Asian American students experience comparatively low levels of chronic absenteeism at around 11.4% of the statewide makeup, whereas 42.5% of African American students were chronically absent last year. Diseases do not discriminate based on one’s race, so other factors must be at play.  
California’s establishment educational leaders puzzled by this phenomenon have resorted to their preferred methods of analysis, typically those involving more race categorizations, leading to more technocratic-oriented solutions that give more centralized power to bureaucrats. In the wake of this fixation, much remains to be examined. 
I want to direct attention to one variable neglected from the mainstream discussion: the grading policies established by the State of California and individual school districts.  
We know that students emerging from lockdowns and virtual learning are more behind than ever, yet California is graduating more students than ever. When combined, those two considerations are worth pausing and reflecting on. The floodgates of accountability have been opened to a population of students that have suffered greatly in recent years. 
Nevertheless, they are being held to a new low standard, presumably indefinitely, and nobody is having a serious conversation about restoring accountability to lift kids up. Sadly, the student groups suffering the most are the ones who can least afford to sit on the sidelines; the homeless, the disabled, the poor, and the marginalized, who are chronically absent at ever-increasing levels exceeding 40% of their respective populations. In the spirit of pardoning the afflicted, the afflicted have been hurt more, while others who are bodily, financially, or culturally resilient continue, mostly unscathed, pulling ahead more.    
In 2020, San Diego Unified upended its grading policy to turn what was once a traditional academic grade on a 1-100 scale to an abridged 1-4 scale with many of the contributing elements removed from the grade. In perfect Orwellian fashion, this new condensed “standards-based grading” eliminates previous standards that were once factored into a student’s grade. The standard particularly relevant to the rise in absenteeism is a now missing “citizenship” grade, which previously held students accountable more holistically. 
Presently, attendance, turning in homework, and showing up on time are no longer factors in a grade. On top of this, AB 104 passed statewide, allowing students to remove D and F grades from their transcripts to only report a pass or fail grade. Both grading movements effectively lower the bar and provide an easy out for those desiring one.  
As every teacher knows, students are remarkably talented in assessing where they need to direct their time and attention to secure a desired grade. They will find the path of least resistance and execute. This is analogous to the way adults behave in the marketplace of goods, services, and jobs. 
Getting students to love learning more than they value a grade has been a perennial challenge of grading systems, which, while never perfect, did traditionally move students towards proficiency and knowledge in a way these new grading systems don’t.
Under San Diego’s new “standards-based grading,” that proficiency is often reflected in a 3 out of 4 grade. For many high-performing students, the 4 out of 4 grade has become beyond reach. For less ambitious students, the 2 out of 4 grade is rarely used as an instrument of punishment, so they, too, are incorporated into the 3 out of 4 grade holders. Therefore, we miraculously have achieved grading “equity” with this transformation of students into one shared mass of score of 3. An equal outcome has been achieved, and the graduates will move forward into the world as one body, absorbed into each other and indistinguishable from each other, regardless of who came to class.
This exemplifies how bad, ideologically driven ideas run up against the rough edges of reality quickly and decisively. If you take away the grading incentive for students to participate and learn, then you see the direct “economic” consequence of that move reflected in thousands of kids staying home.
The good news is that average daily attendance is the main variable holding those in California edu-power accountable. Districts receive funding based on attendance and cannot bleed money in the long run. Continuing to lose students to private charter schools and having huge populations of students stay home is a recipe for school district financial collapse. Accordingly, this will be addressed sometime soon.
Unfortunately, the likely path of least resistance that establishment leaders will take will not involve revising the grading policy. If we look to history, they too will enviably do what is most comfortable — lobby in Sacramento to undo this last thread of accountability they are held to with attendance and funding.
Becca Williams is the Founder of Valor Education and Board Member of Valor Public Schools.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

School desks in a Classroom

You Get What You Grade For: Chronic Absenteeism Roils California’s Public Schools

California

Public Schools

Readers Pass

San Diego

The news that principals at several high schools in Fairfax County, Virginia, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-attorney-general-sets-his-sights-on-another-woke-school-district-after-magnet-school-turns-away-from-merit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">withheld</a> valuable academic awards from top-performing students — around the time the school system hired a consultant that promised “<a href="https://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/fairfax_county/fcps-withholds-awards-pays-455-000-for-equity-contractor/article_0bb6c642-86c9-11ed-abbf-cb802353dab6.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">equal outcomes</a> for every student, without exception” — has shocked the nation. How could schools have gone from encouraging academic standouts to seemingly trying to squash them? And what are the consequences for our best and brightest and our nation?
This latest scandal effectively dispenses with a misconception that has confused the debate over politicized schools for three years: The most important way you’ll see Critical Race Theory (CRT) manifest in your school system isn’t through discussions of race at all. It’s through lowered academic standards and the rejection of the idea that excellence even exists.
I spent two years researching a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Race-Bottom-Uncovering-Destroying-Education/dp/0063056720/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">book</a> on &#8220;equity&#8221; activists’ takeover of American schools, and it quickly became clear that the real, underlying story was not the latest dispute over the 1619 Project or Ibram Kendi in social studies class. It was schools’ abject failure to actually help kids learn, and the dishonest tactics they’ll use to keep you from realizing it.
One of the more striking charts I saw was from 2015. On one axis it showed the horrific state of academic accomplishment in New York City schools: In most schools, the majority of students failed the state math exam, known as the Regents. The other axis was based on the letter grades that students got in math class. Here the story looked much different: Almost everyone got passing grades — even when they failed the standardized exam covering the same material.
There was essentially no correlation between getting a passing letter grade and passing the objective test. At the Science School for Exploration and Discovery in the Bronx, 94% passed their math classes in 2017-18, but only 2% passed their math exams.
In other words, letter grades were meaningless. Worse, they were arguably fraud. Educators were misleading parents. Ninety percent of parents think their kids are at or above grade level, yet according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress exam, only 11% of U.S. 12th graders are proficient in history and 22% in science.
<blockquote>
<h1>It quickly became clear that the real, underlying story was much more important, if less politically flashy: schools’ abject failure to actually help kids learn, and the dishonest tactics they’ll use to keep you from realizing it.</h1>
</blockquote>
Those inflated grades aren’t a favor to little Johnny. They’re the desperate lies a suspect tells to the detective when he knows he’s about to be busted.
For decades, educators pacified parents and taxpayers by lying to them in this manner. A teachers union front group called FairTest demonized standardized tests as “high-stakes.” They claimed that they stifled creativity by making teachers “teach to the test.”
In reality, state exams often have no repercussions for students and are solely used as a metric to see whether schools and their staff are performing. As for “teaching to the test,” the tests ask whether students know how to, for example, do math. So shouldn’t teachers get around to teaching them how to do math at some point?
During the Obama years, concealing actual academic performance through lowered standards meant that the president could tout an increase in the high school graduate rate every year, even as SAT scores declined.
But a decade or two into the con, these excuses and smokescreens were wearing thin. Enter CRT, which is just a new wrapper on the same thing.
CRT claims there is no such thing as objectivity — and nothing is more objective than standardized exams. It takes it even further, saying that grades are racist, too. That’s dealt with through a litany of policies, such as a move from letter grades to “standards-based assessments” — scored on a scale of one to five, where anyone with the equivalent of 80% or higher gets the top possible mark—or decrees that students who don’t turn in work will get a 50% instead of a zero.
Racial-equity education consultants say wanting the right answer and valuing the written word are attributes of “whiteness.” Some even say homework is racist. Suddenly that 36% proficiency rate in reading sounds less like the horrific victimization of children, and more like social justice.
The justification for CRT is not the horrific reality that many students can barely read or count—it’s that there’s a disparity, meaning some can and some can’t. That means you don’t need to teach anyone to read to fix the problem; you just need to suppress the top performers, stop measuring with granularity, then declare victory.
That works for teachers — if their goal is not to solve the issue of kids not being able to read or count, but simply to avoid being caught.
The award withheld by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dad-facing-criminal-charges-for-accusing-woke-activist-of-grooming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fairfax County</a> — the National Merit Scholarship commendation — is given to those who placed in the top 3% of the nation. In a world where everyone is equal — even if they are not — the idea that there is a top 3% at all is intolerable.
Worse, the award is based on a classic objective test, the PSAT. Objective tests are the Achilles heel of the K-12 industry and its leftist allies&#8211;truth-tellers that threaten to expose the entire scam. In the eyes of many educators, they can’t be legitimized.
The issue with solving a problem by simply ceasing to measure it and then giving unearned gold stars is that it merely kicks the can down the road, racking up a debt that will eventually have to be paid by someone, whether it’s future teachers, colleges, employers, or government social services.
One of the schools that withheld awards was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-pta-threatens-to-disband-tj-pta-after-its-asian-parents-reject-anti-merit-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thomas Jefferson School</a> For Science And Technology in Fairfax, Virginia, a notoriously rigorous magnet school. Following the all-Democrat school board’s focus on “equity” and concerns that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fairfax-school-board-flees-meeting-as-asian-moms-chant-racist-at-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">too many</a> students who scored well enough to gain admission to the school were Asian, it abolished its entrance exam in favor of a “merit lottery” and “holistic” admissions criteria.
It turns out that all that mumbo-jumbo simply means that the math school is letting in kids who are not as good at math. Now the school, which once boasted the highest math scores in the country, is forced to offer remedial math classes. What happens if the PSAT shows that “holistic” admissions is just code for lowering standards? Well, just hide the PSAT figures.
The bad news is that the real plague of CRT is much worse, and much harder to deal with, than just a few lesson plans from the 1619 Project.
The good news is that that this creates a roadmap for a bipartisan or nonpartisan coalition of parents to demand reforms. When parents and taxpayers who typically vote Democrat understand that leftist-seeming rhetoric is simply an industry’s selfish smokescreen, they won’t be afraid to join the parents who are demanding a stop to it.
The primary focus is simple: Show up to school board meetings and vocally shut down any and every initiative that doesn’t directly relate to increasing test scores in writing, math, and science, as measured by objective exams. And demand to see hard evidence that it will do so.
Second, reject all rhetoric about “disparities” out of hand. The problem isn’t that some students do better than others. It is the job of effective schools to have as many students as possible who perform better at the end of the year than they did at the beginning. (This is easy to measure, but teachers unions oppose it.) That thwarts the temptation to reduce “disparities” by crippling high performers.
Until schools earn back the trust they squandered over decades, we have no reason to think their obsession with fads like “social emotional learning,” “culturally responsive-sustaining education,” and “holistic” assessments are anything but an excuse to hide their failures by moving away from performance measures we can actually rely on.
Luke Rosiak is a Daily Wire investigative reporter who broke the story that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/loudoun-superintendent-spokesman-criminally-indicted-in-rape-coverup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Loudoun County Public Schools concealed a rape</a>. His book is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Race-Bottom-Uncovering-Destroying-Education/dp/0063056720/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Race to the Bottom: Uncovering the Secret Forces Destroying American Public Education</a>.

Fairfax County Schools reopen – Springfield, VA

In Schools, CRT Is The Coverup. The Crime Is Failing Academics.

Teachers Unions

Virginia

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/virginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virginia&#8217;s</a> Republican governor and attorney general are scrutinizing another liberal school district in the D.C. suburbs, following a special grand jury convened by the pair that indicted two Loudoun County school officials.
Governor Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares have turned their sights to Fairfax County, one of the nation&#8217;s largest school districts, after its magnet high school — once the top-ranked in the nation — allegedly withheld academic awards from students following a commitment to &#8220;equity&#8221; instead of “achievements.”
&#8220;I am stunned by news reports alleging that information about National Merit Awards, as determined by student PSAT scores, was withheld from students at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology until after important deadlines for college scholarships had passed,&#8221; Youngkin wrote to Miyares on Tuesday.
&#8220;I believe this failure may have caused material harm to those students and their parents, and that this failure may have violated the Virginia Human Rights Act,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.wric.com/news/northern-virginia/youngkin-calls-for-investigation-into-fairfax-county-schools-over-scholarship-delays/">wrote</a>. &#8220;Parents matter. Students matter. We also know that achievement matters,&#8221; Youngkin wrote.
Hours later, Miyares — who has the authority to investigate violations of the Act — announced a press conference &#8220;to address Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology&#8221; near the school.
Being a National Merit Scholarship Commended Student means that a youngster is in the top three percent of high schoolers in the nation in academic achievement. In the past, schools have been quick to heap praise on such students. But Principal Ann Bonitatibus did not tell students of their award until the college admissions window had already passed — potentially depriving magnet school students of the chance to parlay their grueling academic work into admissions at prestigious schools, and saving their parents thousands of dollars by receiving academic scholarships, according to <a href="https://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/fairfax_county/fcps-withholds-awards-pays-455-000-for-equity-contractor/article_0bb6c642-86c9-11ed-abbf-cb802353dab6.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporting by journalist Asra Nomani</a>, who broke the story.
Parent Shawna Yashar, who discovered that her son was affected, told Nomani that a school counselor indicated that the failure to notify students of the prestigious award was a deliberate choice, part of the school system&#8217;s commitment to &#8220;equity.&#8221;
Yashar said that the school’s Director of Student Services, Brandon Kosatka, told her on a phone call, &#8220;We want to recognize students for who they are as individuals, not focus on their achievements,” and that they didn’t want to “hurt” the feelings of those who didn&#8217;t achieve so highly.
In recent years, Fairfax County schools has moved to a &#8220;merit lottery&#8221; to let students into its magnet school, following criticism that too many Asians were scoring highly on the entrance tests. The school system also paid $455,000 for &#8220;equity&#8221; training that says schools should demand &#8220;equal outcomes for every student, without exception.&#8221;
The move from objective entrance exams to a lottery using a &#8220;holistic&#8221; model — which minority activists say is designed to purge the school of Asians — is too new to have affected seniors, but as the years progress, the move from merit to social-justice-based admissions is likely to result in fewer students scoring in the top three percent nationally, a finding that could be concealed by a pattern of withholding certificates.
The school district, which is normally secretive and attempts to charge parents exorbitant fees for public records requests, issued a rare apology, with assistant superintendent Fabio Zuluaga saying, &#8220;It was a mistake to be honest.”
But after Nomani began digging into the story, she found that it appeared to be part of a pattern: her own son, who had already graduated from the school, had won the distinction without his knowledge.
Parent activists say it reflects an outright hostility to academic competition as the result of race-obsessed leftist ideology taking over school systems — even prestigious math schools. Yashar said, “Keeping these certificates from students is theft by the state.”
Elicia Brand of the local group Army of Parents demanded the firing of Bonitatibus and Kosatka, and that the regional magnet school no longer fall under the authority of Fairfax County. &#8220;Don&#8217;t be fooled into thinking this is only happening in one school, in one state,&#8221; Brand said. &#8220;Virginia is the tip of the spear, where ideologues test how much they can get away with. &#8230; This war on merit will not result in positive outcomes for anyone. Parents everywhere should use this as a cautionary tale and insist merit be required, rewarded, and loudly applauded.&#8221;
Fairfax County Public Schools <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fairfax-schools-suspend-kids-call-police-as-system-defies-virginia-governor-on-masks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brazenly defied</a> Youngkin when he did away with mask mandates in schools, despite having claimed that the previous Democrat governor’s order requiring masks was binding.
But Youngkin followed through on a campaign promise when Miyares convened a special grand jury to investigate the apparent rape coverup in neighboring Loudoun County in response to Daily Wire reporting. Last month, the superintendent and spokesman were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/loudoun-superintendent-spokesman-criminally-indicted-in-rape-coverup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicted</a>.

Youngkin, Kiggans, Kevin McCarthy in VA

Virginia Attorney General Sets His Sights On Another Woke School District After Magnet School Turns Away From Merit

Virginia Attorney General Sets His Sights On Another Woke School District

Woke Culture

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/homeschooling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Homeschool</a> students excel beyond their peers in private, charter, and public schools on the Classic Learning Test, a rigorous standardized <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/colleges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">college</a> entrance exam oriented toward classically <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">educated</a> students.
The exam utilizes reading passages from classic texts written by individuals “whose writings have had a lasting influence on culture and society” rather than the informational passages and more contemporary writings often used in the SAT and ACT. The test, on which students can earn a maximum of 120 points, claims to more easily “differentiate students at the upper tail of the distribution” than conventional college entrance exams.
An <a href="https://www.nheri.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/HSR381-Treleaven-article-only.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> of Classic Learning Test outcomes by Houston Christian University professor Lisa Treleaven found that homeschool students who took the exam earned mean scores of roughly 78 points, surpassing private school students, who earned mean scores of 75, and charter school students, who earned mean scores of 73. Public school students earned mean scores of 66, marking the lowest among the cohorts considered by the study.
“This is consistent with prior research findings of superior academic performance of homeschool students as compared to other school types,” wrote Treleaven. The analysis was based on data from more than 12,000 students who took the Classic Learning Test between 2016 and 2021.
Classic Learning Test CEO Jeremy Tate, who created the exam in 2015, postulated that the freestyle structure offered by home education could provide an advantage over students in private school settings.
“Homeschooled students simply have more time for leisure reading,” he told The Daily Wire. “We forget that the word school derives from Greek scholē, originally meaning leisure. The connection between leisure and learning is profound. Factory model schooling is antithetical to leisure, but is common for homeschooled students who are given the time and space to immerse themselves in great literature.&#8221;
Homeschool students especially excelled beyond their peers on the verbal and writing portions of the Classic Learning Test while scoring at parity with private school and charter school students on the quantitative segment. Treleaven noted that her study adds to the current literature because of her large sample size and her lack of “affiliation or compensation from homeschool or educational advocacy groups.” She nevertheless noted the need for further research that does not rely upon a self-selected sample.
Other studies have shown that homeschooled students achieve significantly better results on conventional standardized exams than the national average. Homeschoolers typically score 15 to 30 percentile points higher than their public school counterparts, while black homeschoolers likewise score 23 to 42 percentile points above black public school students, according to <a href="https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/">data</a> from the National Home Education Research Institute.
The analysis of the Classic Learning Test results occurs after an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/is-the-right-to-homeschooling-under-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unprecedented number</a> of families removed their children from public schools in response to pandemic-related lockdown measures that dealt a severe blow to learning outcomes. The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nations-report-card-indicates-worst-decline-in-math-and-reading-scores-in-decades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed</a> average reading scores for nine-year-olds plummeting five points and average mathematics scores falling seven points over the past two years, with students belonging to racial minority groups posting especially severe learning losses. Particularly in urban school districts, teachers unions <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/five-cities-where-teachers-unions-are-keeping-schools-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">played a pivotal role</a> in extending virtual instruction well into 2021, a reality that the White House recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-claims-schools-reopened-in-spite-of-republicans-here-are-several-videos-of-democrats-defending-closed-schools" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a>.
Disruptions caused by lockdowns may cost the economy between $128 billion and $188 billion per year, according to an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-2020-school-shutdowns-to-cost-economy-up-to-188-billion-per-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimate</a> from consulting firm McKinsey &amp; Company.

Symbol image – Mothers in the pandemic

Homeschool Students Trounce Public And Private School Peers In Rigorous Standardized Test

Homeschool Students Dominate Public And Private Schoolers On Classic Learning Test

Homeschooling

The American Bar Association (ABA) has endorsed dropping the standardized test required for admission to law school in a newly released memo from the organization.
The potential removal of the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) could significantly change the admissions process used in the nation&#8217;s law schools.
&#8220;Eliminating the requirement of a &#8216;valid and reliable&#8217; admission test also eliminates some of the challenges inherent in determining which tests are in fact valid and reliable for law school admissions, although of course law schools must still show that their use of an admission test, should they choose to require one, is consistent with sound admission practices and procedures,&#8221; ABA&#8217;s <a class="Link" href="https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/legal_education_and_admissions_to_the_bar/council_reports_and_resolutions/may22/22-may-memo-revisions-501-503.pdf">memorandum</a> said.
Not everyone was pleased with the new recommendation. The Law School Admission Council, the organization that administers the LSAT, shared its concern in a Friday <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/end-lsat-law-school-entry-test-is-chopping-block-again-2022-05-06/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
“Studies show test-optional policies often work against minoritized individuals, so we hope the ABA will consider these issues very carefully,” it said.
The recommended change follows a move to decrease the emphasis on standardized testing for admissions in recent years. For example, in March the California State University system <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-state-university-drops-sats-acts-from-admissions-requirements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it will be eliminating the SAT and ACT from its undergraduate admissions process.
“This decision aligns with the California State University’s continued efforts to level the playing field and provide greater access to a high-quality college degree for students from all backgrounds,” CSU acting Chancellor Steve Relyea said in a statement, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/california-state-university-drops-sats-acts-admissions/?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=news_tab" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> CBS.
“In essence, we are eliminating our reliance on the high-stress, high-stakes test that has shown negligible benefit and providing our applicants with greater opportunities to demonstrate their drive, talents and potential for college success,&#8221; the report added.
FairTest, a national organization for fair and open testing, reported in October that more than 1,785 schools were test-optional for fall 2022, representing more than three-fourths of all colleges and universities.
“The record number of admissions offices waiving testing mandates reflects widespread satisfaction with those policies,” FairTest Executive Director Bob Schaeffer said in a <a href="https://www.fairtest.org/record-1775-schools-are-testoptional-fall-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “Schools that did not mandate ACT/SAT submission last year generally received more applicants, better academically qualified applicants, and a more diverse pool of applicants.”
Harvard announced in December that it would no longer require the SAT or ACT as part of its admission process through 2026.
&#8220;Consistent with Harvard’s whole-person admissions process, standardized tests are one factor among many considered. Accomplishments in and out of the classroom during the high school years — including extracurricular activities, community involvement, employment, and family responsibilities — are considered as part of the admissions process,&#8221; the school <a href="https://college.harvard.edu/about/news-announcements/admissions-update-2023-2026-application-cycles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> in December.
&#8220;Students who do not submit standardized test scores will not be disadvantaged in their application process. Applicants will be considered on the basis of what they have presented, and students are encouraged to send whatever materials they believe would convey their accomplishments in secondary school and their promise for the future,&#8221; Harvard added.
The University of Chicago went test-optional in 2018, according to a New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/16/us/harvard-admissions-act-sat.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>, starting the process before the pandemic. The university has reported the admission &#8220;of a more diverse class without a standardized testing requirement.&#8221;

test

American Bar Association Endorses Dropping LSAT For Admission To Law School

California State University (CSU) will no longer require students to submit SAT or ACT scores for college admissions, making it the largest four-year college system in the country to drop the requirement.
CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/california-state-university-drops-sats-acts-admissions/?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=news_tab">reported</a> that CSU’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Wednesday to make the change, and that the move follows the University of California’s decision to do the same in 2020. CSU had already suspended the use of test scores during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years due to the coronavirus pandemic, but this week made the move permanent.
&#8220;This decision aligns with the California State University&#8217;s continued efforts to level the playing field and provide greater access to a high-quality college degree for students from all backgrounds,&#8221; CSU acting Chancellor Steve Relyea said in a statement, according to CBS. &#8220;In essence, we are eliminating our reliance on the high-stress, high-stakes test that has shown negligible benefit and providing our applicants with greater opportunities to demonstrate their drive, talents and potential for college success.&#8221;
Students can still use the test scores to get placed into the right math and English courses, but they will no longer need them specifically for admission into the university system. Instead, CSU said it would “utilize a multi-factored admission criteria to determine student eligibility in lieu of standardized test scores.&#8221;
The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/uc-system-discarded-sat-test-as-hard-on-minorities-they-ignored-study-saying-it-actually-helped-minority-admissions">reported</a> in June 2020 that the UC system voted to stop requiring SAT and ACT scores because, as some members claimed, the test was harmful to minorities. The Daily Wire reported:
<blockquote>Yet only a few weeks earlier, the entire faculty senate voted to retain the SAT as a result of a study commissioned by UC system president Janet Napolitano that found that the SAT and the ACT increased minority enrollment across the UC system.
“<a href="https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/underreview/sttf-report.pdf">The 228-page report</a>, loaded with hundreds of displays of data from the UC’s various admissions departments, found that the SAT and a commonly used alternative test, ACT —  also eliminated – actually helped increase black, Hispanic, and Native American enrollment at the system’s 10 campuses. The report recommended that their use be continued,” Richard Bernstein of <a href="https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2020/06/16/its_racist_how_california_disregarded_its_own_liberal_faculty_to_ditch_the_sat_124042.html">RealClearInvestigations</a> reported.
The report stated, “The Task Force found that of the 22,613 students guaranteed admission through the statewide index (the admissions pathway in which test scores can compensate for lower HSGPA) but not through Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC), which only considers high school grades, about 25% were members of underrepresented minority groups, and 47% were low-income or first generation students. These students would not have been guaranteed admission on the basis of their grades alone.”</blockquote>
Yet the testing requirement was still removed.
Earlier this year, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-sat-is-about-to-be-shorter-easier-and-completely-online">reported</a> that the SAT was going to be shortened and taken entirely online.
“Beginning in 2024 for U.S. students, the test will be shortened to two hours instead of the current grueling three hours, and it will allow more time per question. The new SAT will also feature shorter reading passages with one question per passage, and students will be allowed to use a calculator for the math section,” The Daily Wire reported. “The new SAT will also be online, although it will still be administered in-person at schools and test centers. However, students will be able to choose whether they want to use their personal tablet or laptop or a school device. In addition, the new test will speed up the turnaround time for students to get their scores from weeks to days.”

Pencil on answer sheets or Standardized test form with answers bubbled. multiple choice answer sheet

California State University Drops SATs, ACTs From Admissions Requirements

California State University

No more sharpened No. 2 pencils or making sure bubbles are filled in completely.
The SAT, the hours-long standardized test that for decades has loomed over high schoolers&#8217; heads during college preparation, is about to get shorter and go digital.
Beginning in 2024 for U.S. students, the test will be shortened to two hours instead of the current grueling three hours, and it will allow more time per question. The new SAT will also feature shorter reading passages with one question per passage, and students will be allowed to use a calculator for the math section.
The new SAT will also be online, although it will still be administered in-person at schools and test centers. However, students will be able to choose whether they want to use their personal tablet or laptop or a school device. In addition, the new test will speed up the turnaround time for students to get their scores from weeks to days.
The College Board, the organization that develops and administers the test, said that a November pilot of the digital SAT found that 80% of students said they found the newly structured test to be less stressful, and 100% of educators said they had a positive experience with the new test.
&#8220;The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant,&#8221; said Priscilla Rodriguez, the College Board&#8217;s vice president of College Readiness Assessments, said in a <a href="https://newsroom.collegeboard.org/digital-sat-brings-student-friendly-changes-test-experience">news release</a> announcing the changes.
&#8220;With input from educators and students, we are adapting to ensure we continue to meet their evolving needs,&#8221; Rodriguez said.
After the pandemic disrupted in-person test-taking, many colleges <a href="https://www.ivywise.com/blog/colleges-going-test-optional/">made</a> SAT scores optional for admission.
“In a largely test-optional world, the SAT is a lower-stakes test in college admissions,” Rodriguez <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/25/us/sat-test-digital.html">said</a>. “Submitting a score is optional for every type of college, and we want the SAT to be the best possible option for students.”
Some students who have tried out both versions of the test said they found the digital, shorter SAT much more manageable.
“I definitely preferred that format with the shorter passages, just because it was a lot easier to read and easier to stay focused,” a high school junior from Alexandria, Virginia <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/25/us/sat-test-digital.html">told</a> the New York Times. “I also felt less drained at the end.”
“It felt a lot less stressful, and whole lot quicker than I thought it&#8217;d be,” <a href="https://newsroom.collegeboard.org/digital-sat-brings-student-friendly-changes-test-experience">said</a> another high school junior from Fairfax County, Virginia who participated in the digital pilot. “The shorter passages helped me concentrate more on what the question wanted me to do. Plus, you don’t have to remember to bring a calculator or a pencil.&#8221;
The SAT has been criticized in recent years for putting low-income and minority students at a disadvantage, the argument being those students do not have access to expensive test prep materials. The College Board initially defended the old test, saying students who did well on the test would get a boost that they might not get solely from their GPA.
Students will also get information about alternatives to college when they get their SAT scores back. The College Board will connect students to information and resources about local two-year colleges, workforce training programs, and career options, the College Board said.

SAT Test To Be Revamped

The SAT Is About To Be Shorter, Easier, And Completely Online

An NCAA task force has recommended high school students looking to play Division 1 or Division 2 sports shouldn’t have to submit their SAT or ACT scores as part of the recruiting process.
The Daily Caller <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2021/10/15/ncaa-standardized-test-scores-racial-equity/">reported</a> that the NCAA Standardized Test Task Force made the recommendations on Friday as part of the NCAA’s attempts to promote “racial equity.”
“The <a href="https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/general-ncaa-task-force-backs-removal-of-standardized-test-score-requirement">announcement</a> stems from the NCAA’s <a href="https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/inclusion/planning-advance-racial-equity">Plan to Advance Racial Equity</a>, which includes eight proposals to ‘address racial justice and equity at the national office and among the membership.’ The SAT and ACT score component is a significant part of the plan when evaluating the initial eligibility requirements for Division 1 and Division 2 student-athletes,” the outlet reported.
David Wilson, who led the task force and is also the president of Morgan State University, said in a statement that the recommendation “reflects the NCAA’s commitment to continually reviewing our academic standards based on the best available data and other relevant information.”
“We are observing a national trend in NCAA member schools moving away from requiring standardized test scores for admissions purposes and this recommendation for athletics eligibility aligns directly with that movement,” he added.
The move follows the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ (NABC) recommendation last year to eliminate the reporting of standardized test scores for students hoping to join college teams.
“The NABC Committee on Racial Reconciliation believes that the SAT and ACT are longstanding forces of institutional racism and no longer have a place in intercollegiate athletics or higher education at large,” the organization said in July 2020.
As the Caller noted, the NABC praised the NCAA’s recommendation to remove standardized test scores for prospective athletes.
“A[n] NCAA task force has backed removal of standardized test scores as a component of Division I and II initial eligibility. Their support follows a 2020 NABC proposal calling for the elimination of standardized tests for NCAA eligibility.
The NCAA is the latest to suggest standardized test scores harm minorities. In 2019, while running for president, Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-biden-commits-to-ending-racist-standardized-testing-calls-out-lousy-teachers">suggested</a> he would end “the use of standardized testing in public schools” in response to a question about their “history of racism and eugenics.”
In June 2020, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/uc-system-discarded-sat-test-as-hard-on-minorities-they-ignored-study-saying-it-actually-helped-minority-admissions">reported</a> that University of California’s Board of Regents voted to stop using the SATs and ACTs while judging admissions. Some members claimed the tests were racist and hurt minority students.
“Yet only a few weeks earlier, the entire faculty senate voted to retain the SAT as a result of a study commissioned by UC system president Janet Napolitano that found that the SAT and the ACT increased minority enrollment across the UC system,” The Daily Wire reported.
That report found that “of the 22,613 students guaranteed admission through the statewide index (the admissions pathway in which test scores can compensate for lower HSGPA) but not through Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC), which only considers high school grades, about 25% were members of underrepresented minority groups, and 47% were low-income or first generation students. These students would not have been guaranteed admission on the basis of their grades alone.”
In June 2021, Princeton <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/princeton-boasts-new-class-is-68-of-color-after-waiving-sat-score-requirement">bragged</a> that 68% of its incoming freshmen class were students of color after it waived the SAT score requirement.

Florida v LSU

NCAA Task Force Recommends Students No Longer Submit SAT, ACT Scores To Promote ‘Racial Equity’

NCAA

A California judge has barred the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/university-of-california-system-expects-to-cut-in-person-classes-for-fall-term">University of California</a> (UC) from accepting ACT or SAT scores from prospective students for fall 2021 enrollment because of the pandemic.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/uc-system-jettisons-using-sat-act-for-admissions">UC board of regents</a> voted in May to drop the test scores as requirements for admission into the university after low-income students sued the school, claiming discrimination because they had less access to tutors and study prep courses than their better-off peers. The school cut the requirement but still allowed students to submit the scores voluntarily.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman ordered the school on Tuesday to bar scores from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sat-adding-adversity-score-judge-students-social-emily-zanotti">SAT</a> and ACT exams from its admissions process. Seligman said allowing the tests disadvantages disabled students blocked from taking the exams during the pandemic because many testing sites are closed, according to the <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/Judge-bars-University-of-California-from-all-use-15531662.php">San Francisco Chronicle</a>.
“Nondisabled, economically advantaged, and white test-takers have an inherent advantage in the testing process,” the judge said in the <a href="http://www.publiccounsel.org/tools/assets/files/1489.pdf">ruling</a>.
“Plaintiffs have shown that they are denied meaningful access to the additional ‘benefit, aid or service’ that the test option affords. Unlike their non-disabled peers, they do not have the option to submit test scores; even if they did, their chances of obtaining necessary test accommodations are virtually non-existent,” Seligman said.
Laura Kazan, the executive director of College Seekers and one of the case’s plaintiffs, said she was “extremely grateful for this ruling.”
“The SAT and ACT are barriers for students who have disabilities because they encounter difficulties obtaining accommodations and testing,” Kazan told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/judge-university-of-california-sat-admissions">Fox News</a>. “These students spoke out and were finally heard.”
UC had argued that there is no way for the applicants bringing the lawsuit to prove that the school discriminated against them by voluntarily accepting some applicants’ exam scores.
UC President Michael Drake and the board of regents issued a statement in response to the ruling on Tuesday, saying that the university is weighing whether further legal action is warranted.
“UC respectfully disagrees with the court’s ruling,” the statement said. “An injunction may interfere with the university’s efforts to implement appropriate and comprehensive admissions policies, and its ability to attract and enroll students of diverse backgrounds and experiences.”
The students’ attorneys, meanwhile, cheered the judge’s Tuesday decision in statements to the San Francisco Chronicle.
“There is no place at the University of California for (a) policy that denies students with disabilities the opportunity to fairly compete for admissions,” attorney Marci Lerner Miller said. “The court’s decision today is a monumental step towards removing barriers long faced by students with disabilities in higher education.”
Attorney Katherine Farkas added: “More than 170,000 students will apply to enter the University of California in fall 2021. For the first time in decades, the country’s preeminent public university system will not award admissions based on an exam that systematically discriminates on the basis of race, wealth and disability.”

UCLA

University Of California Must Prohibit Submission Of ACT, SAT Scores, Judge Rules

In May, the Board of Regents of the University of California <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/university-of-california-will-stop-using-sat-act-11590099469">voted unanimously</a> to jettison the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and ACT over the next five years for use in judging admissions, with some members saying that the test itself was racist and therefore detrimental for minorities.
Yet only a few weeks earlier, the entire faculty senate voted to retain the SAT as a result of a study commissioned by UC system president Janet Napolitano that found that the SAT and the ACT increased minority enrollment across the UC system.
“<a href="https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/underreview/sttf-report.pdf">The 228-page report</a>, loaded with hundreds of displays of data from the UC&#8217;s various admissions departments, found that the SAT and a commonly used alternative test, ACT &#8212;  also eliminated – actually helped increase black, Hispanic, and Native American enrollment at the system&#8217;s 10 campuses. The report recommended that their use be continued,” Richard Bernstein of <a href="https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2020/06/16/its_racist_how_california_disregarded_its_own_liberal_faculty_to_ditch_the_sat_124042.html">RealClearInvestigations</a> reported.
The report stated, “The Task Force found that of the 22,613 students guaranteed admission through the statewide index (the admissions pathway in which test scores can compensate for lower HSGPA) but not through Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC), which only considers high school grades, about 25% were members of underrepresented minority groups, and 47% were low-income or first generation students. These students would not have been guaranteed admission on the basis of their grades alone.”
One regent of the UC system, Jonathan Sures, who is co-president of the United Talent Agency, said of the SAT, “I believe the test is a racist test. There&#8217;s no two ways about it.”
But Professor of Education Eddie Comeaux at UC-Riverside, who served as co-chair of the faculty task force, stated, “many of us thought that the process might be a political one. There were several very prominent figures whose public statements made pretty clear their opposition to tests even before the task force started its undertaking. The regents&#8217; vote was kind of preordained. There wasn&#8217;t even much debate at the regent&#8217;s meeting.”
Professor of Education Kip Tellez at UC-Santa Cruz, another drafter of the task force report, echoed, “We know their minds were already made up because they said so publicly.”
Another drafter of the report, associate professor and neuroscientist at UC San Francisco Andrea Hasenstaub, had said in May, “UC doesn&#8217;t cut anybody any slack on his grades. Students with lower grades are just not let in. This appears to be where URMs are getting cut out in the admissions process … Test scores don&#8217;t just help predict freshman grades. They also help to predict retention, graduation rates and final GPA, and this is true of students subdivided by income, race and family educational history.”
A fourth drafter of the report, Haim Weizman, a chemistry professor at UC-San Diego, said, “It&#8217;s just a smoke screen. The regents didn&#8217;t want to make a new test. They wanted to make a statement.”
The unanimous vote to discard the SAT in May ratified a proposal from UC President Janet Napolitano, who had issued a 2018 letter <a href="https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/may20/b4attach1.pdf">in which she stated</a>:
<blockquote>This seems like a good opportunity to review the role of admissions in UC eligibility and admissions, something I understand the Board on Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS) does periodically but may not have done since 2010.
I request, therefore, that the Academic Senate, through BOARS, examine the academic use of standardized tests for UC admission; review the testing principles developed in 2002 and revised in 2010; and determine whether any changes in admission testing policies or practices are necessary to ensure the university continues to use standardized tests in an appropriate way.</blockquote>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.
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