The Role of Standardized Tests in College Admissions. A Civil Rights Agenda for the Next Quarter Century

Civil Rights Project / Proyecto Derechos Civiles. 8370 Math Sciences, P.O. Box 951521, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1521. Tel: 310-267-5562; Fax: 310-206-6293; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

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39

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

Civil Rights; College Entrance Examinations; College Admission; Intelligence Tests; Admission Criteria; Social Differences; Educational History; Standardized Tests; Armed Forces; Test Construction; Culture Fair Tests; Futures (of Society); Access to Education; Equal Education; High School Students; Grades (Scholastic); Individual Characteristics; Scores; Academic Achievement

ACT Assessment; SAT (College Admission Test)

Colleges and universities have become increasingly concerned that requiring standardized test scores for admission is an impediment to campus diversity, and these objections have grown with the recent focus on societal inequities. In addition, the pandemic led to the cancellation of test administrations, which, in turn, caused many institutions to eliminate admissions test requirements. These developments present an opportunity to reconsider the role of college admissions testing. The report begins by recounting the history of college admissions in the US, the relationship of admissions tests to intelligence testing and military testing, and the motivations for developing standardized exams to replace the admissions methods used at the turn of the twentieth century. Next, it describes the college admissions tests used today, along with their role in the admissions process, their advantages and limitations, and the ongoing debates about their fairness. Finally it discusses the future of admissions and admissions testing and end with a discussion of the concept of meritocracy as it applies to college admissions.

ERIC

2023

ED629723