Gov. Gavin Newsom of California was recently asked if he would support reinstating SAT/ACT requirements after over 3,000 University of California (UC) faculty expressed concern through an open letter. The letter highlighted issues with students’ math preparedness. A UC San Diego study found that one in eight incoming students fell below high school math standards, and one in 12 fell below middle school standards. This issue arose after the UC Board of Regents decided in 2020 to remove SAT and ACT considerations from admissions.
During a press event marking the new school year, Newsom acknowledged the importance of the discussion. He expressed interest in seeing more data before making a decision, stating, “I’m open to argument, interested in evidence. Show me the data.” He has communicated this stance to the UC president, James B. Milliken, and the board.
“The data needs to bear out the ultimate determination on this,” Newsom emphasized, noting the existence of conflicting data.
The University of California announced a review of its standardized testing policy following the letter. Milliken remarked that college preparedness is a critical issue, with data-driven reviews underway to support recommendations for improving student readiness.
A Berkeley mathematics professor, Zvezdelina Stankova, voiced concern that many students arrive at college unprepared because of “test-blind” policies. She mentioned that a significant number lag in math proficiency, sometimes by as much as five to eight years.
Karajean Hyde, co-director of the UC Irvine Math Project, indicated that objective benchmarks might help restore academic baselines. She stressed the role of standardized testing in providing a consistent measure of student readiness.
The call for reinstating standardized testing in University of California admissions arises from concerns about declining academic readiness. Thousands of professors have urged the university system to reconsider these decisions for maintaining student preparedness.
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