The Progressive Case for the SAT
If you believe in equality, you should defend the SAT.
Ohio State Normal College Model School classroom, 1911.Miami University Libraries / Flickr
The SAT does not enjoy a good reputation among progressives. Arguments against the use of the test, as well as its analog, the ACT, abound. Both are widely derided as tools of elitism, rejected as culturally biased, and denounced for dehumanizing test takers.
I understand the intuitive feeling that we should not reduce human potential to a test score. And the major testing companies (and nonprofit organizations like the Educational Testing Service, which basically function like companies) are not particularly sympathetic entities. But if you believe in equality and a more level playing field in college admissions, you should defend the SAT.
Unequal Results, Unequal Society
Some caveats are in order. First, it’s important to acknowledge that yes, SAT results reflect inequalities in race and social class. Black and Hispanic students and poor students do not perform as well on these tests as their white and affluent counterparts, mirroring state-mandated standardized test results and grading distributions. But this reflects a symptom of larger inequality, not a biased test.
This article is for subscribers only. Please login or subscribe to access our full archives and beautiful print and digital magazine starting at just $3 a month.