Debate Primer: Standardized Testing

This week, Political Union will be debating whether Universities should not consider standardized test scores in their undergraduate admissions processes.

First, a basic rundown of the premise COVID-19 has introduced to college admissions. [6 minutes]

A clear definition of standardized testing, and its original goal can be found here. [4 minutes]

A isolation of alternative causes to college gatekeeping besides standardized testing from Anthony P. Carnevale director and research professor of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. [5 minutes]

• The National Association for College Admission Counseling, which listed the following as a core objective in 2008 ‘Report of the Commission on the Use of Standardized Tests in Undergraduate Admission’ — Pages 10-12 specifically.                  [5 minutes]

• “The Commission is concerned that test scores appear to calcify differences based on class, race/ ethnicity, and parental educational attainment. To come to some resolution, the Commission agrees that without confusing correlation with causation, admission offices must remain aware that test score differences persist among already under-served populations. Part of the public mission of colleges and universities is to ensure that differences that are not attributable to a student’s ability to succeed academically at an institution are mitigated in the admission process.”

• The case for retention for the sake of minority students from Wayne Camara, Horace Mann Research Chair and Michelle Croft a principal research scientist for ACT. [2 minutes]

• An Op-ed in defense of standardized testing from CEO of Academic Approach (a test prep company), Matthew Pietrafetta. [4 minutes]

• A reflection on the era of forced flexibility in college admissions post-COVID and a question of whether they will revert at all. [4 minutes]

• A look into what the data says about admissions right now “20% fewer high school graduates going to college this year, even though there has been no decline in the number of students graduating from high school this past June” from Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.  [2 minutes]

• Some notable scandals that have tainted standardized testing, most notably Actress Felicity Huffman’s ‘Varsity Blues’ scandal. [4 minutes]