The Dialogue
Question:
Should higher education institutions continue to use
standardized tests as a criterion for admission?
 Yes,
standardized tests have their place in a fair student assessment
process.
Veronica Maher *
Recently, more and more institutions have begun to realize
that scores on standardized entrance tests, by themselves, are only one method
to assess students.
Some students, for instance, have special needs. These
students may not perform well on standardized tests, but, at the same time,
they can excel in their high school course work—and promise to do well in
college.
Given this reality, opponents of standardized tests feel
these tests ought to be set aside completely. But how realistic is this?
Standards for graduation from high school vary widely,
making it difficult to measure achievement. The SAT and ACT scores are the only
variable left to objectively measure ability and aptitude. Do we need to work
on the content and presentation of those tests? Definitely. But should they be
eliminated? Not yet.
The competition for admission to some schools will continue
to rise, and more institutions will begin to examine applicants using
broad-based criteria. Leadership, curriculum, past performance, faculty
recommendations, community service, personal interviews, and entrance exams are
all factors that can be included in the ubiquitous college admission process.
The courts in general have held that universities may use
standardized tests as a basis for admission, but that these tests cannot be
used as the sole criterion for admission. Students applying for admission
should be allowed to provide a complete picture of their achievements and
abilities by demonstrating their talents in a variety of formats. Colleges, for
their part, ought to be able to examine all attributes, including standardized
exam scores.
* Veronica Mayer is the media
services/reference librarian at Roger Williams Undergraduate Library. She is
also the president of the Roger Williams University Faculty Association in
Narragansett, Rhode Island.
 No, the costs of
the most popular standardized tests outweigh the benefits.
Phil Fetzer *
Standardized tests such as the SAT and the ACT serve as
"gatekeepers" for admission to many selective colleges and universities in the
United States.
These tests do have certain benefits—for example, test
scores and first-year college grades correlate.
But scores on such tests have not been shown to predict
persistence or graduation rates with any degree of significance. Good
first-year grades may be an indicator of academic success, but graduation rates
are clearly more important.
The use of standardized tests as a criterion for admission
has negatively affected the life opportunities of large numbers of women, as
well as African Americans and Mexican Americans. Members of these groups have
consistently scored lower than males and whites (from 60 to 180 points on the
SAT, for example). Scores on these tests, it turns out, closely track the
income level of the test-taker. The advantage goes to the wealthy.
Alternatives to standardized tests already exist. Some
selective colleges use "personal profiles" as an important criterion in the
admissions process. Personal profiles may include such qualities as leadership
and initiative, personal challenges faced, and the quality of the academic
profile relative to available educational opportunities. Class rank and
secondary school grade-point average are also useful predictors of academic
success in college, without the negative effects associated with standardized
tests.
It's time to move away from the simple, quantitative
evaluation of student applicants. The quality of the individual can be better
judged by a more broad-based approach to college admissions.
* Phil Fetzer is a professor of political
science at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He is
currently president of the California Faculty Association at Cal
Poly.
Where Do You Stand? Send comments to
CLehane@nea.org. You can also discuss the
issue on the NEA higher ed Web site at www.nea.org/he. |
