College STEM Students Can Barely Do Middle School Math, Say Hundreds Of UC Professors Demanding The Return Of SAT Scores
Christian Moro | Shutterstock A debate about the role standardized testing scores should play in a student’s academic future has been raging for years now. Much of this discussion has centered around how useful college entrance exams like the SAT and ACT are.
Critics believe that the SAT is biased along lines of gender and race, so it does not provide an accurate look at students’ potential. This led some colleges to drop the SAT requirement for admissions, but University of California professors now think that was a huge mistake.
Hundreds of UC professors feel like students are unprepared for their STEM courses, and that SAT scores could help gauge their readiness.
In an open letter signed by 794 UC faculty members, professors argued that students taking their college classes are woefully unprepared for the math they need to do, with some even performing at a middle-school level.
“Over the past five years, we have seen a widening divergence in mathematical preparation levels within the same classroom,” the letter reads. “This trend indicates that current admissions practices do not provide a sufficiently reliable check on mathematical readiness for STEM majors.”
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According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, the UC system ended standardized testing requirements in 2020 over a fear that marginalized students couldn’t perform as well on the exams. Many other schools got rid of their testing requirements around the same time because of the pandemic, but “the requirement has largely resumed at elite universities.”
The letter demands that “applicants to STEM-intensive majors” once again be required to submit their math scores from the SAT or ACT, and that faculty members have a bigger say in the admissions process. The request has to be considered by UC’s Academic Senate and Board of Regents.
The professors said they have to use class time to review basic concepts, which hinders their ability to teach.
The letter continued, “We now observe preparation gaps so severe that instructors must reteach middle-school mathematics while simultaneously teaching the material students need for sciences, engineering, economics, and other quantitatively demanding fields.”
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Some of the educators are baffled about how they should teach a class that has different students at different levels. Berkeley math professor Zvezda Stankova told the Los Angeles Times about a Calculus II class she taught in spring 2023 that opened her eyes to the growing problem.
“Something had changed drastically,” she said. “The bottom was taken out, and there were 25 to 30% of the students who were in free fall. There was nothing you could do for them. They just were not prepared.”
Educators frequently argue about the merits of the SAT, but this might be a sign of a bigger issue.
There are about 60 colleges that require students to submit their SAT or ACT scores with an application, which is admittedly not a huge portion of higher education institutions. Some schools, like the University of Southern California, allow students to submit their test scores if they want to, but choosing not to do so doesn’t hurt their chances.
Those who don’t see standardized tests as essential argue that being able to score well often has little to do with a student’s actual academic ability and is more dependent on access to tutoring, as well as just being a good test taker in general. On the other hand, some feel like the tests are the opposite of biased and give underprivileged students with great minds a chance to shine when they might not have otherwise.
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College professors have been sounding alarm bells about students’ diminished math abilities for several years now, which they have largely attributed to the disruptions the pandemic created in their education.
This is obviously a major problem, but it seems to be something that goes beyond SAT scores. If students are struggling with math across the board, that needs to be addressed in a systemic manner. Professors may be able to better determine if a student is ready for their course based on test scores, but that will do nothing to help those who can’t keep up.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
