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While reading the November 2003 Cal Patriot (http://www.calpatriot.org/), I stumbled onto Alan Donner’s article regarding SAT admissions. As usual, the Patriot gets it all wrong. Though frankly, so has most of the literature regarding the ‘scandal’ of admitting several people who scored low on their Standardized Aptitude Tests into UC Berkeley.
Donner postulates that: “When the best applicants are not admitted, the overall quality of the University is decreased…” Interesting enough, the author fails to provide any concept for just who are the best students. He further asserts that: “…the SAT still provides a reliable general comparison of one person to another.” This is utter balderdash. Obviously his implication is that those who score higher on the SATs are ‘better’ ones. I seriously doubt Mr. Donner, by his erroneous claims, that he has had any serious interaction with an inner-city high school.
As a High School tutor for two years in Sacramento, I was privileged to work at both an inner-city high school, much like the one I attended, as well as a suburbanite public school. It would be safe to say that the students at the inner-city school came from impoverished or nearly impoverished households. Meanwhile, suburb high was swarming with rich kids driving BMWs, insinuating that most came from rather non-impoverished households to say the least.
Teaching classes at both schools, there was a very visible gap in curriculum and job duties. Due to lack of facilities, equipment and an environment conducive to learning, my role as teacher was that of counselor/circus ringleader at the inner-city high school. It was in sharp contrast with the more well endowed counterpart: ample supplies, air conditioning, smaller class sizes and… guess what else? Yep- we helped them study for the SATs.
At one school I was essentially a Kaplan representative, giving helpful hints on how to master the exam that was in the way of their entrance to a school that ‘only accepts the best.’ We went over practice tests, calculators to use, and a full blown tutoring session on analogies. At the other school, trying to motivate students to even take the SATs was challenging. There was no time budgeted to take practice tests. There was one class offered after school; however, at a place where most students considered their options to be the military, community college (my route) or working alongside liberal arts majors at fast food joints – why bother?
Some opposed to SATs as a basis for admissions laude organizations like ‘By Any Means Necessary’ (BAMN), which promote the idea that the SATs have ‘an inherent race, gender and ethnicity bias’. Yet even BAMN is willing to stand up for the SATs when it suits their political agenda (see ‘Admit the 800 Now’ on their web site). Whether the SATs have an inherent bias worked into them or not makes little difference, when there is a clear bias when it comes to preparing for the damned test. Critics for and opposed to SATs are apparently oblivious to this.
Frankly, I doubt that there is a particular ethnic group that has a greater aptitude for approaching the questions on the SATs. However, if a group that has greater access to tools that booster overall education, and prepares them for the SATs, they will probably do better. Aptitude for ‘the basics’ that the SAT addresses is important for college admissions, but does this mean it should be at the expense of those who cannot afford to attend schools that provide help if needed? I agree with BAMN when they say that the SATs are used to keep many people out of college. Yet the minorities I taught at the more affluent school did as well as their other colleagues. So rather than ethnicity being the heart of the issue, class seems the more apparent one.
When Alan Donner and other proponents for standardized tests claim that they provide a reliable comparison of one another, in regards to students, it makes me gag. When the playing field is as level as Candlestick Park during the ’89 earthquake, there is no way in hell it’s a reliable comparison. Before we can really decide whether the SATs are a necessary admissions evil, we have to address the issues of classism and inequality in our school system. Don’t just listen to my story though, do your own research, take a look at our school system from the inside.
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Michael Newton-McLaughlin
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The way of the future Simon Moss | Dec 2nd, 2003
As much as it burns me to say this, education seems increasingly to be about scores on standardised tests (as an aside, most benchmarks are set for above average performance, but seeing the tests are standardised, this is an impossibility).
A query; won't any selection process by biassed in the manner you outlined? Whatever the cirumstances, rich kiddies will be coached to achieve, while disadvantaged schools struggle to motivate students. What can we do about this?
The way of the future Simon Moss | Dec 2nd, 2003
As much as it burns me to say this, education seems increasingly to be about scores on standardised tests (as an aside, most benchmarks are set for above average performance, but seeing the tests are standardised, this is an impossibility).
A query; won't any selection process by biassed in the manner you outlined? Whatever the cirumstances, rich kiddies will be coached to achieve, while disadvantaged schools struggle to motivate students. What can we do about this?
nate, where did 'race' or gender come into his article? anyway, it's not like you are losing some of the best to some of the "affirmative-action benefitors," it's more like, those people are finally allowed an equal chance - though a forced one at this b Karis | Jan 22nd, 2004
And if I'm not wrong, aren't schools in the U.S. funded by the property taxes of the area?
Thus, cheaper areas necessarily get less school funding?
What you need to do is fund all schools equally. And on top of that, I know of schools (i.e. my cousins in Orinda, CA) where there are massive extra funding drives that boost the schools finances to the height of a private school!
Your American individualism/capitalism doesn't work all the time --- oh wait...it IS working, isn't it.
:P good article, Mike
Karis | Jan 22nd, 2004
..at this - backward time we live in ...and i meant didn't mention 'race' in that context
thanks Michael Newton-McLaughlin | Jan 22nd, 2004
Just adding my thanks to Karis.. and all other who have commented
Robin Hood Katharine | Feb 2nd, 2004
I live in Texas, and there is a Certain law called Robin Hood, which essentially "steals" funding from the schools that have more funding and give it to the schools that receieve less funding. It upsets me that education is the one object that the government is most willing to downsize when budgets are tight.
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