One of the most stressful times in a high school student’s career is when it comes time to take standardized tests. Usually a requirement for many colleges and scholarships, it is something almost every student must endure. However, due to the pandemic, many colleges have become test optional. This has allowed for many criticisms of standardized testing to come to light.
To understand why standardized testing has become such an important part of American education, we must first understand its history. Between the years 1840 and 1875, more of the general population could attain an education, not just the wealthy; this is where we begin to see the shift to written test as opposed to oral exams. In the year 1900, the College Entrance Examination Board was established by Charles Eliot, president of Harvard University. Just one year later, they administered their first subject exam. World War I also affected standardized testing due to the United States Army’s use of aptitude tests, and this inspired schools around the country to begin administering these examinations. In 1926, the first SAT was administered, and in 1935, the first computer was used to process its answers.
After World War II, the SAT grew exponentially in popularity and use. Prior to the war, relatively few people applied to college, which allowed for admissions counselors to spend more time with each application. However, with the GI Bill and natural economic growth, colleges gained many more applications than previous decades. Many turned to the SAT to ease the decision process. “I just think we have fallen into this trap of ‘because things are easy, we think they have value’,” says Mr. Emerling, English teacher at North Augusta High School.
The increasing importance of standardized testing also serves as an example of both racial and financial inequalities. The SAT, for example, was developed by Carl Brigham, a supporter of eugenics. Brigham used aptitude and IQ tests to back his idea of the superiority of “the Nordic race group” and the inferiority of immigrants and African Americans. Another point of contention with standardized tests is their correlation to household income. Studies show that test scores directly correlate with household income, often helping those with higher incomes receive larger scholarships and attain higher-paying jobs upon graduation. Lower-income students, in contrast, tend to face greater debt due to this difference, creating a continuing and disadvantaging cycle that may continue to grow. The College Board has adapted the SAT to fix these issues and is working to improve accessibility among lower-income Americans.
Mrs. Caswell, one of the teachers at NAHS who were interviewed for this article.
Photo Credit: Emma Carter
Pictured Here: Mrs. Caswell
“I think COVID has really hurt a lot of learning,” says Mrs. Caswell, Math teacher at North Augusta High School. She also states “COVID is effecting all future subjects for a very very long time.” The recent test-optional policies of many colleges and universities have allowed analysis of standardized testing’s positives and negatives, working to ensure access for all students and fairness within the admissions process.
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