FINANCES TO FINAL SCORE:
SOCIOECONOMIC DISCRIMINATION IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS EXAMS
Introduction
As the COVID-19 pandemic demanded rapid shifts in the manner of education throughout the country, the controversy surrounding standardized tests was thrust into the limelight as tests needed to be canceled due to public health concerns. Many schools temporarily suspended the standardized test requirement for one or multiple years. Most notably, the University of California suspended ACT/SAT requirements through 2024 while they create a new test to “better align with the content that the University expects students to have mastered for college readiness” (University of California). Additionally, if this new test is not created in time, the standardized testing requirement will be completely eliminated (University of California). Due to the pandemic’s impact on standardized testing, a number of colleges are rethinking their application in the admissions process.
The SAT has long been a key role in the college admissions processed, joined later by the companion ACT test. Scores from these exams are now one of the key factors determining acceptance into universities and colleges across the nation. While these tests have long served as supposedly equalizing exams, research continues to show how family income, and other wealth-related factors such as property values, can be closely tied to exam success (NEA). This link suggests that these tests do not merely assess student intelligence, but other factors stemming from the wealth and resources a family has such as time to spend with their children or money to afford tutors. Rather than leveling the playing field for students of all backgrounds to assess learning, these exams exemplify a problematic test design that favors students with more resources available.
Standardized tests are increasingly depicting the inequalities in this form of assessing students’ preparation for college. Post-secondary learning is crucial for many students to pursue careers in a growing number of fields and income-biased tests rob students of exemplifying their intelligence. The COVID-19 pandemic has created the optimal time to revise and restructure these assessments to create a fair assessment of all students regardless of inequitable preparation due to income differences. For the SAT and ACT to continue to serve as college admissions exams, it is essential that these tests are revised to provide test topics and preparatory material to all students to ensure the test serves as an equalizing assessment for students.
I still need to format sources to Chicago-style end-notes but here are the sources I have used thus far.
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/university-california-board-regents-approves-changes-standardized-testing-requirement
https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/racist-beginnings-standardized-testing
Questions:
How can I best frame this issue for policy-makers? In other words, how can I make this issue seem demanding and crucial for change?
What kinds of rebuttals might I need to consider while crafting my brief?
Derek, I think that you’ve addressed your audience well. The shift away from standardized testing in the UC system is an excellent way to introduce your topic. You can manage the problem of urgency simply by weaponizing the information you’ve collected, such as the standardized testing disparities. Consider that those who may not know how standardized testing came to be might intend to state that the current system is fair.
Hi Derek. As I always was saying, I love the topic of SAT and ACT, yet I hate them, so it will be very interfering to see the end product.
1. I love how you introduced the topic In the first paragraph, gave some history and into in the second and kind of specified what the body of the Issue brief is going to be about. Great structure, that I think will have a great transition to the body
2. The Issue is quiet pressing, a specially now, when we are in the middle of pandemic, because as you said in the post, now is the time when the changes can be made, due to the situation of changes.
3. Thought reading the post I got a general sence of what is it going to be about, and how it will look like. So you did a great job with your intro. Love it.
4. You can tell how little changes were done thought the history of those exams and considering the first SAT was taken at 1926, it is a long time, with little changes. You might expand in this sphere.
Hi Derek! I think you crafted a great intro that captures the kairotic moment of SATs and the pandemic, as well as generally summarizing the inequalities that come with standardized testing and socioeconomic status. I think to continue to make the issue seem more crucial, maybe highlight the differences in scores between students that come from students with a high socioeconomic status, and students that come from a low socioeconomic status. As for rebuttals to look out for, I think there are always going to be people arguing for standardized testing–especially the SAT/ACT– to serve as a baseline for all students across the U.S., especially because education varies greatly in different regions. I think you’re off to a great start!