Advertisement
Advertisement

Commentary: SATs can help students overcome disadvantages

Good SAT scores are a way to shine a spotlight on students who may not have accessibility to enrichment programs and other services.

Share

A University of California task force is expected to report in February on whether the UC system should drop the requirement that applicants take the SAT or ACT. Critics of standardized tests say they are biased against minorities and have little predictive value when it comes to college outcomes. Defenders say they reflect college readiness and help students who have potential to stand out. Here are two views on the topic.

For the record:

5:16 p.m. Dec. 10, 2019This commentary was written by a trustee of the College Board, the organization that administers the SAT. The disclosure should have been made when the piece was published, and we added it after we were made aware. We regret the omission.

I have devoted my life to overcoming inequities in education. First, as a student and then, as a teacher and administrator in our public schools. As the Riverside County superintendent of schools, I witness the extraordinary effort our students, teachers, and parents make under challenging circumstances every day.

Many well-resourced students have far greater access to test preparation, tutoring and taking the test multiple times, opportunities not afforded the less affluent.

Nov. 27, 2019

College admissions should honor the individuality of each student. The process is not simply about what a student has achieved in a classroom; it is about what they have accomplished despite the real-world constraints of where they grew up. Factors including the quality of schools, and the capacity of families to invest time and resources in their child’s education, exemplify some challenges that students must overcome.

Advertisement

Eliminating the SAT and other standardized tests would not solve these problems. In fact, these tests can play an important role in ensuring that students are able to receive consideration for college admissions despite the disadvantages they may encounter in their schools and communities.

Half the students enrolled in the UC system have high school GPAs of 4.0 or better. Half. Those GPAs more likely come from schools with a wealth of honors and advanced placement classes. In addition, students in those schools also benefit from a vast menu of extracurricular programs that have become a key component of many college applications.

Lack of access to extracurricular activities creates a disadvantage for students who do not have access to those additional opportunities outside of the traditional classroom. I went to high school in San Bernardino, a community with tremendous hardships and overall poverty. Regardless of these detriments, I was one of the few who was able to overcome those obstacles. Due to my strong performance on the SAT, I had more options after high school. My performance on the SAT connected me to universities and scholarships that I would have never been able to find on my own. I made the decision to attend Occidental College and, subsequently, went on to earn a doctorate in education.

In part because of my performance on standardized tests, I was able to break my family’s cycle of poverty. The SATs showed my readiness for college. It objectively demonstrated what I could achieve.

There are thousands of stories like mine playing out in classrooms across California every year. Many of our students come from under-resourced communities and do not have the support to build outstanding college resumes. These young people deserve the opportunity to show their raw talent and grit. These students deserve the chance to earn the notice of admissions officers and scholarship providers.

This is why I believe in expanding access for students to take standardized tests for college admission. Good SAT scores are a way to shine a spotlight on students who may not have accessibility to enrichment programs and other services.

There are opportunities for students to use free tools such as Khan Academy to build their knowledge and skill in taking the SAT and that is an equitable tool for students in poverty who do not have the financial resources to take private tutoring for SAT preparation classes.

There are inequities in test scores but facing those challenges is only possible if we are willing to look at the data to bring about solutions. Objective tests, for all their shortcomings, are a major improvement over the old assessments that were laced with biases that once dominated the college admissions process.

No one thinks a student’s future should rest solely on a test score. Wise — and fair — admissions decisions must draw on a range of measures — grades, test scores, extracurricular activities and student writing. More information means more opportunities for our talented students to be competitive candidates to colleges and universities.

It is hard to know where I would be today without a positive outcome in my SAT scores. A robust SAT score opened doors for me to obtain a higher education. Like me, students who take the SATs are afforded opportunities throughout the nation to show their depth of knowledge and academic abilities.

In conclusion, all of us want a fair and equitable educational system. We should continue to examine standardized tests, and if necessary, make changes to them in order to ensure that they are bias-free. However, standardized tests can continue to play an important role in ensuring that all students have access in taking the SAT can continue to play an important role we have a comprehensive, equitable college admissions process.

White, Ed.D., is Riverside County superintendent of schools and a trustee of the College Board.

Advertisement