University of California president puts spotlight on use of SAT

The world of academia is reassessing the efficacy of standardized assessment.

In February, Richard Atkinson, president of the University of California system, proposed that the UC system no longer require its applicants to take the SAT I.

More recently, Atkinson invited the College Board and the Educational Testing Service to devise an alternative exam to the SAT I.

"If Mr. Atkinson's proposal to have the UC system drop the SAT I as a requirement leads to a robust dialogue about the use and abuse of tests such as the SAT I, it should be welcomed," University Dean of Admission Fred Hargadon said.

He also indicated that UC, unlike Princeton, draws most of its applicants from in-state secondary schools. UC, therefore, has a unique opportunity to amass large amounts of data on the subsequent college performance of its students, he said.

Atkinson's comments have sparked national debate over the general reliability of SAT I scores and the information they convey for admissions purposes.

His criticism cites the SAT I as a poor gauge of success in college as merely an "aptitude test" for subjects unrelated to much of the high school curriculum.

Until changes are implemented, Atkinson encourages students to continue to take the SAT II subject-specific tests.

Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board, recently issued a statement in defense of the SAT I: "It is the only common yardstick in an era of grade inflation and where students complete different courses with different teachers who use different grading standards. It provides a very reliable measure of overall developed abilities."

According to Hargadon, the SAT I does in fact contribute positively to the University admissions process. "The SAT I is an imperfect instrument, but it is better than no instrument at all," he said. "If we didn't have it, we'd be trying to create something like it. Our applicants in a given year come from over 5,000 secondary schools from across the U.S. and over 100 other countries. The SAT I is the only measure all applicants submit to us in common."

SAT I scores are indeed only one piece of the overall admissions picture. Hargadon affirmed that other components of a student's application are given significant attention, including the transcript, SAT II's, teacher recommendations and a student's self-presentation.

"In our admissions process, we do weight achievement more highly than aptitude, but like a number of other colleges, we see a large number of applicants with both excellent achievement and relatively high test scores," Hargadon said.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Hargadon said University admissions officers attempt to evaluate the extent to which a student has used the resources available.

"We try our best to admit some students who have achieved well in modest educational settings," he said. "It is sometimes a student's SAT I scores that signal to us that such students have the basic ability to successfully pursue the much more academically challenging experience they'll face at Princeton."

Hargadon proceeded to describe the phenomenon of "self-selection" in college admissions, whereby students construct college lists based on their own SAT I scores. "Perhaps my largest concern is that far too many students come to identify themselves and their abilities by this single, imperfect measure," he said.

Hargadon said SAT I obsession has taken on a life of its own.

"Some colleges place an inordinate amount of weight on test scores for no other reason than to improve their US News and World Report rankings," he said. "Millions are now made by test prep centers and tutors to prepare students for the SATs. And, as Atkinson observes, high schools are using up valuable teaching time simply to prepare students for the SAT."

Dean of Undergraduate Students Kathleen Deignan agreed with Hargadon in reference to this alarming trend. "What further compromises reliability of these tests is the ability of people to prepare for them. I am convinced that the preparation makes a difference," she said. "Some people's SAT's might reflect an inflated index. It just widens the gap for those who have other commitments or can't afford the courses."

"I think it is misguided to place a very heavy emphasis on the SAT's," she added.

Despite these shortcomings, Hargadon said he believes the original intent of the SAT I remains valid, acting as "an'alert that the probability of a given student's ability to successfully pursue a particular college's academic program is fairly low, an alert to possible exceptional ability, an alert to potential ability that might otherwise go unrecognized."