DeepSummary
The episode discusses the history and evolution of the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and how attitudes towards it have changed over time. Originally intended to promote meritocracy and provide equal access to higher education, the SAT has been criticized for perpetuating racial and socioeconomic inequalities due to biases and the advantage given to students who can afford expensive test preparation.
The SAT's roots can be traced back to Carl Brigham, a proponent of eugenics who believed in the innate superiority of certain races. However, it was later championed by Henry Chauncey as a tool to break down barriers and create a meritocracy. Over the years, the SAT has faced backlash and support, with debates over its fairness, predictive power, and role in college admissions.
Recently, many colleges dropped the SAT requirement, but some have now reinstated it, citing its ability to predict college performance and identify talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The episode explores the ongoing debate around the SAT and its role in shaping access to higher education and structural inequalities.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The SAT has a complex and controversial history, with shifting perceptions of its role in promoting or undermining social equity and access to higher education.
- The test has faced long-standing criticisms of perpetuating racial and socioeconomic biases, as well as benefiting those who can afford expensive test preparation.
- Despite being initially promoted as a tool for creating a meritocracy, the SAT has consistently produced lower scores for students of color and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Recent studies suggest that the SAT is a strong predictor of college performance across all socioeconomic groups, leading some colleges to reinstate its use in admissions.
- The ongoing debate surrounding the SAT reflects larger questions about the purpose of higher education, who should have access to selective institutions, and the role of standardized testing in shaping opportunities.
- While the SAT alone cannot address structural inequalities, some colleges argue that using it in context with a student's background can help identify talented individuals from disadvantaged groups.
- The episode highlights the tension between using the SAT to reward merit and using it to redress systemic barriers, reflecting the complex interplay between individual performance and structural conditions.
- Attitudes towards the SAT have consistently flip-flopped, reflecting the evolving and often contradictory perspectives on its fairness, predictive power, and role in college admissions.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I think I was interested in the full development of each individual, and one could learn about individuals from tests. That is still something I believe in, that you try and find out what the interests and capabilities are of individuals, and you want to bring about the full development of each one.“ by Henry Chauncey
- “How do you know that? The scores that you're seeing, whether they're the result of some kid walking in and taking the test cold on a Saturday morning and the results of some other kid who's been tutored for $700 at the Princeton Review or Kaplan, or $1,500 for some tutor who comes to your house and drills you on the test. Those scores don't mean the same thing. It has nothing to do with math, has nothing to do with aptitude, and it most certainly has nothing to do with merit, unless you define merit as being coached.“ by Bob Schaeffer
- “I guess I'm a bit unhappy with the uses to which some colleges or some institutions use this, and that's mister SAT himself.“ by Henry Chauncey
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Episode Information
What A Day
Crooked Media
6/8/24