The SAT: Past and Future
By Olivia O’Callaghan
October 2021
This past month, thousands of high school students took the Practice-Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT). This practice test is in preparation for the official Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which will take place in early spring. While the test has traditionally been a regular part of the high school experience, many students could not take it last year because of Covid-19 safety concerns. As a result, many colleges decided to drop the standardized test requirement as part of their application. For many years, higher education professionals have discussed the accuracy of standardized tests and whether they provide an authentic datapoint to assess student success. This discussion has caused many to wonder: how necessary is the SAT in determining student intelligence, and does it do more harm than good?
The idea for the SAT first came to fruition under Carl Brigham, a eugenicist and psychologist that dominated the psychology field during the early 1900s. He designed the first version of the test with the goal of determining a person's "pure intelligence," regardless of educational, social, political, or racial background. However, noticeable race-based disparities presented themselves from the start: the test results showed white test-takers routinely scoring significantly higher than Black test-takers. This outcome was then used to justify white supremacy and the notion that the more “white blood” someone had, the more intelligent they were. Over time, this embedded testing bias resulted in fewer students of color being offered admission at institutions of higher education.
When colleges and universities only look at standardized test scores, they often exclude students of color, specifically Black students, from the admissions process. Additionally, the curriculum reflected by the test is generally one that favors American/Western students, putting international students at a clear disadvantage. Class-based differences are also evident in student results. Students whose families make more money tend to fare better on the test because they can afford tutors and test preparation materials that low-income students do not have access to.
However, proponents of the test advocate that the exam offers a good idea of how students will perform in college. The test also makes it significantly easier for admissions offices to compare thousands of students using one metric. Additionally, it adds another data point for students to bolster their application if grades alone do not create a favorable profile. While SAT scores are not the final data point admissions offices consider when admitting students, they certainly boost applications with high scores.
In recent years, CollegeBoard has begun piloting a new technology called Landscape, which gives a student's score environmental context. In addition to the test score, universities will see how each student did in comparison to their peers, as well as information about the student's neighborhood. The CollegeBoard has made it clear that they do not see this test as an "adversity score," but a technology to judge a student's ability to "achieve more with less." This way, otherwise overlooked and ignored students have a better chance of getting more consideration.
As the spring test date approaches, students should continue to keep a close eye on the test and how their prospective universities decide to proceed.
October 2021
This past month, thousands of high school students took the Practice-Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT). This practice test is in preparation for the official Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which will take place in early spring. While the test has traditionally been a regular part of the high school experience, many students could not take it last year because of Covid-19 safety concerns. As a result, many colleges decided to drop the standardized test requirement as part of their application. For many years, higher education professionals have discussed the accuracy of standardized tests and whether they provide an authentic datapoint to assess student success. This discussion has caused many to wonder: how necessary is the SAT in determining student intelligence, and does it do more harm than good?
The idea for the SAT first came to fruition under Carl Brigham, a eugenicist and psychologist that dominated the psychology field during the early 1900s. He designed the first version of the test with the goal of determining a person's "pure intelligence," regardless of educational, social, political, or racial background. However, noticeable race-based disparities presented themselves from the start: the test results showed white test-takers routinely scoring significantly higher than Black test-takers. This outcome was then used to justify white supremacy and the notion that the more “white blood” someone had, the more intelligent they were. Over time, this embedded testing bias resulted in fewer students of color being offered admission at institutions of higher education.
When colleges and universities only look at standardized test scores, they often exclude students of color, specifically Black students, from the admissions process. Additionally, the curriculum reflected by the test is generally one that favors American/Western students, putting international students at a clear disadvantage. Class-based differences are also evident in student results. Students whose families make more money tend to fare better on the test because they can afford tutors and test preparation materials that low-income students do not have access to.
However, proponents of the test advocate that the exam offers a good idea of how students will perform in college. The test also makes it significantly easier for admissions offices to compare thousands of students using one metric. Additionally, it adds another data point for students to bolster their application if grades alone do not create a favorable profile. While SAT scores are not the final data point admissions offices consider when admitting students, they certainly boost applications with high scores.
In recent years, CollegeBoard has begun piloting a new technology called Landscape, which gives a student's score environmental context. In addition to the test score, universities will see how each student did in comparison to their peers, as well as information about the student's neighborhood. The CollegeBoard has made it clear that they do not see this test as an "adversity score," but a technology to judge a student's ability to "achieve more with less." This way, otherwise overlooked and ignored students have a better chance of getting more consideration.
As the spring test date approaches, students should continue to keep a close eye on the test and how their prospective universities decide to proceed.