UC System May Discontinue Use of SATs

UC-system President Richard C. Atkinson first recommended that California schools consider abandoning the SAT for admission in February 2001.

The newly formed UC-system faculty committee reported that the SAT, which is composed of both verbal and math reasoning, is not directly tied to subjects covered in California high schools.

"There is no existing test that reflects California state curriculum," said Chiara Coletti, vice president for public affairs for the College Board, which administers the SAT.

UC-system and College Board officials are now cooperating to create a new test that would reflect what is taught in California public schools. "(College Board members) are very excited to work with California," Coletti said. "Developing new tests are fun for us."

Coletti said there are no indications that any other states will follow California's lead in changing the SAT format or getting rid of it as an admissions requirement. "Higher universities, such as the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, the University of Texas, Princeton and Yale all use both the SAT I and SAT II."

UNC Admissions Office Director Jerome Lucido stated in an e-mail that California's effort seems futile.

Lucido recently attended a national research conference on the use of various admission measures and stated that the majority of researchers present agreed that the current standardized tests, along with high school grades, are useful predictors of college success.

"What is going on (in California) is really a political exercise," he stated. "(And) not really one that will aid in predicting college success."

California students represent 10 percent of all students who take the SAT I and SAT II -- the most of any state -- and changes by the UC-system could complicate university admissions nationwide.

But Coletti said the College Board is aware of other universities' concerns and is taking measures to prevent unnecessary complications. "We don't want our thousands of other university and college members asking, 'What are we going to do now which will be equitable with the California test?'" she said.

Coletti said the process of transforming the SAT will not be done quickly and that new test formats will be supported by solid research.

The UC-system faculty committee estimates that the new achievement-oriented test would go into effect no earlier than 2006. For the committee's plan to be implemented it must go before the UC-system Board of Regents.

Although the UNC system is not planning to discontinue use of the SAT for admissions purposes, Lucido stated that it is only one of many factors considered when admitting students.

He also stated that the test helps the University gauge the verbal and quantitative reasoning skills of students.

Lucido stated that the test does display the discrepancy in educational opportunities offered to low-income and minority students. "Recognizing this, we take individual circumstances into account in every admission decision."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.