The SAT again, the monster that would not die

Ah, here we go again. One step forward, two steps back. Finally, because of the pandemic, many colleges dropped or made optional the SAT — the college admission test that has reinforced privilege and inequity for decades and makes millions of dollars for the College Board corporation. The test has been problematic in so many ways — it reinforces hierarchies through cultural and racial bias, it disadvantages strong students who are bad test-takers, and it narrows the curriculum in high school as the demands of test prep push aside other interests and inquiries. Now the pushback is starting and count on the New York Times to take the lead in the reactionary narrative in the article entitled “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/07/briefing/the-misguided-war-on-the-sat.html" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">The misguided war on the SAT</a>” by David Leonhardt. It’s so complicated, some colleges complain, to figure out who to admit if we are only using high school grades and recommendations and essays. SAT test scores, they claim, are important in predicting college grades, graduation, and lucrative careers. <a href="https://rick-ayers.medium.com/the-sat-again-the-monster-that-would-not-die-a0841db946bc">Read More</a>