As the University of California Academic Senate deliberates whether to recommend reinstating standardized testing for freshman applicants, research from the Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE) is playing a central role in the systemwide conversation.
A recent EdSource report, "UC freshmen increasingly are not ready for college math. Some professors want to require the SAT again," highlights a sharp division among UC faculty. While over 1,400 STEM faculty members have signed an open letter advocating for the return of the SAT/ACT to gauge math readiness, opponents of high-stakes testing are pointing to a ROPS paper from CSHE to counter the narrative.
The article specifically cites the ROPS paper authored by Saul Geiser, a senior associate at CSHE. Geiser’s research found that high school grades remain a stronger predictor of first-year college success than standardized test scores at elite institutions. Furthermore, the paper emphasizes that ranking applicants by SAT scores disproportionately disadvantages Black, Latino, low-income, and first-generation students, while noting that the UC system has successfully enrolled more underrepresented students since dropping the test requirement in 2020.