Racial Bias in the SAT
Racial Bias in the SAT
Abstract:
Since the 1950’s the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) has been an important assessment tool for college admissions to consider. Today the test is composed of three sections including math, reading, and writing. There is controversy surrounding the reliability and validity of the test as there is a large white-black scoring gap. The purpose of this paper is to prove the presence of a racial bias against blacks in the SATs. I will do this by talking about the history of the test, relative research and findings, and the future of the test.
I. Purpose and History of the SAT
After World Word 1 a Princeton University psychologist by the name of Carl Brigham thought of the idea of creating an aptitude test after partaking in the creation of the Army IQ test, now known as the ASVAB. The acronym SAT stands for Scholastic Aptitude Test and was first purposed as a standardized way of measuring mental ability. The first SAT was given in June 1926 and administered by the College Board who still runs the test today. Over the years the SAT proved able to foreshadow a student’s ability to perform academically in college. Because of this Brigham suggested the SAT should be an aptitude test and not a mental ability test. ( Widening, 2005)
It was not until the 1950s that he SAT’s become an important element in the college admissions process. The President of Harvard University at the time, James Conant thought the SAT could be used to distinguish between students who could benefit from a college education from those who lacked abilities. Today, the SAT is still one of the factors looked at by college admission boards. The test measures analytical skills, reasoning and thinking, contains 138 questions, and each section is measured on a scale from 200-800. . ( Widening, 2005) Since the creation of the SAT there has been a black-white scoring gap. The College Board published an analysis in 1976 based on the differences in scores based upon
Abstract:
Since the 1950’s the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) has been an important assessment tool for college admissions to consider. Today the test is composed of three sections including math, reading, and writing. There is controversy surrounding the reliability and validity of the test as there is a large white-black scoring gap. The purpose of this paper is to prove the presence of a racial bias against blacks in the SATs. I will do this by talking about the history of the test, relative research and findings, and the future of the test.
I. Purpose and History of the SAT
After World Word 1 a Princeton University psychologist by the name of Carl Brigham thought of the idea of creating an aptitude test after partaking in the creation of the Army IQ test, now known as the ASVAB. The acronym SAT stands for Scholastic Aptitude Test and was first purposed as a standardized way of measuring mental ability. The first SAT was given in June 1926 and administered by the College Board who still runs the test today. Over the years the SAT proved able to foreshadow a student’s ability to perform academically in college. Because of this Brigham suggested the SAT should be an aptitude test and not a mental ability test. ( Widening, 2005)
It was not until the 1950s that he SAT’s become an important element in the college admissions process. The President of Harvard University at the time, James Conant thought the SAT could be used to distinguish between students who could benefit from a college education from those who lacked abilities. Today, the SAT is still one of the factors looked at by college admission boards. The test measures analytical skills, reasoning and thinking, contains 138 questions, and each section is measured on a scale from 200-800. . ( Widening, 2005) Since the creation of the SAT there has been a black-white scoring gap. The College Board published an analysis in 1976 based on the differences in scores based upon
Cited: Jaschik, S. (2013, February 27). College Board announces plans to redesign the SAT @insidehighered. College Board announces plans to redesign the SAT @insidehighered. Retrieved May 3, 2014, from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/02/27/college-board-announces-plans-redesign-sat#sthash.66yDppNX.dpbs Jaschik, S. (2010, June 21). New Evidence of Racial Bias on SAT @insidehighered. New Evidence of Racial Bias on SAT @insidehighered. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/06/21/sat#sthash.pTGV7oCh.dpbs Kendi, D. I. (2012, December 12). New Mind-Boggling Evidence Proves SAT Bias. - Higher Education. Retrieved May 2, 2014, from http://diverseeducation.com/article/49830/ Matthews, J. (2003, November 1). The Bias Question. The Atlantic. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from https://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/issues/2003/11/mathews.htm Matthews, J. (2010, June 17). New evidence that SAT hurts blacks. Class Struggle -. Retrieved May 3, 2014, from http://voices.washingtonpost.com/class-struggle/2010/06/new_evidence_that_sat_hurts_bl.html The Widening Racial Scoring Gap on the SAT College Admissions Test. (2005, January 1). The Widening Racial Scoring Gap on the SAT College Admissions Test. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://www.jbhe.com/features/49_college_admissions-test.html