SAT: Unfair Obstacle or Equal Measure?

A University of California task force has proposed making the Scholastic Aptitude Test optional, instead of a mandatory criterion for admission. The Latino Eligibility Task Force says that continued use of the SAT could mean a drop of up to 70% in the number of Latino students at UC campuses as affirmative action ends in undergraduate admissions. DEBORAH BELGUM spoke to those with differing views of the proposal.

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MARIA S. QUEZADA

Teaches educational policy planning at Cal State Long Beach; president of the California Assn. of Bilingual Education

Standardized tests are gatekeepers for students. Eliminating the SAT would open up some closed doors because the test is only a point in time for the student and doesn’t take into consideration all the student has done academically. Sometimes, time tests are not favorable for students of color.

When it is used for part of the entrance criteria, it is not terrible, but if it is the major criterion for eliminating students, then it is not the best approach.

I didn’t take the SAT test to get into college. When I was 25, I enrolled at a community college. I was on the president’s list for four semesters. I transferred to Cal State Fullerton and got my degree in sociology. Then I went to the University of La Verne to get my teaching credential and my master’s. From there I got my PhD from USC.

For students who have advanced placement classes, it is easy to get the subject matter you need for the SATs. When I was enrolled at Whittier High School, my classes were business math, typing and shorthand and home economics because I was a minority student.

Often, minority students have to hold jobs while they go to school. Instead of just looking at SAT scores, look at the grades and kinds of classes students are enrolled in. Look at their progress and the recommendations from the teacher.

When my son applied to Stanford (where he is going to school), he was asked to write an essay and list the community projects he had worked on--his leadership role in the community. There are other ways to know if the student will be able to complete a program. The SAT is only a slice of time.