Intelligence Quotients Divided by Statistics

Re “SAT’s Gender Gap Widening,” Aug. 29: The questions should not be: 1) Is the Scholastic Aptitude Test gender-biased toward focused, aggressive males? 2) Are the classroom grades gender-biased toward verbal, socially skilled females? 3) Do the two genders take different course preparation materials prior to the tests?

The question should be, what produces the best long-term results for our society? In other words, would any change from the present system create a better-performing, problem-solving work force? Will it make ours a better society?

Past research has shown that while the average IQ of all males and all females is approximately the same, males constitute the majority of both the low-IQ and high-IQ populations. Based on that fact alone, one would expect that any test that was taken only by those who have an average-or-above IQ should favor the male population. The significant majority of low-IQ males don’t take the test.

Larry L. Severson

President, Optimizing National

Education, Fountain Valley

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Naturally the staff of the College Board blames the lower SAT scores of female and black students on everything except the exam. Standardized tests are the bane of the American education system. Testing students’ test-taking abilities and not their knowledge is a worthless endeavor.

They are also huge moneymakers for the organizations that offer them, and for the lucrative test-preparation cottage industry that has sprung up around them. Both will do everything legally possible to preserve the status quo.

UC President Richard Atkinson is a brave, forward-thinking educator for proposing the elimination of the SAT I for UC admission. Let’s hope he goes after the graduate exams next.

Jane Garcia

Los Angeles