UC Schools Considering Dropping SATs (and ACTs)

Interesting article in today’s LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-02/uc-sat-test-optional

Surely they’re not naive enough to think that replacing it with the Smarter Balanced test would not immediately generate expensive Smarter Balanced Test Prep courses that are exactly the same.

There’s minimal difference today in that test because the results don’t really mean much. In PA we have tests in Bio, Algebra, and English that every student must take. Nothing above passing earns you anything, so my D did zero preparation for them.

Sounds like it’s at least a year out.

Anything that slows the “space race” of college prep privilege would be a constructive step.

I find it interesting that the UCs are considering dropping SAT/ACT tests altogether. They could just as easily alter their acceptance requirements to achieve the social outcomes they are looking for. Perhaps, with no SAT/ACT score paper trails they can more easily achieve their ends? After that they should consider dropping all testing at UCs so as not to disadvantage students who don’t test well?

UCs can influence standardized testing since they are the largest “customer” of the College Board’s SAT test.

One would hope that they remember the history of the SAT II (subject) writing test that they lobbied to get moved into the main SAT, with the reaction that test prep companies eventually figured out how to game that test (before then, it was found to be a better predictor of college grades than the SAT I or ACT).