Balance (1965 - 1990)
Cultural Bias
from: http://www.collegeboard.com/faithfulmirror/balance/sat/cultural.html
Some critics charged that the SAT was biased against minorities and the poor. The critics charged that African-Americans scored approximately 100 points lower on the SAT than did their white counterparts. They argued that this proved that the test was culturally biased.
The College Board did not deny that there was a score gap between white and minority test-takers. However, officials of the College Board, including former College Board president George Hanford, insisted that this did not prove the test's bias but only showed that there were unequal educational opportunities for minorities and whites. This, officials argued, showed that there needed to be further efforts at providing equal educational opportunities.
In Life with the SAT (1991), Hanford claims that he convinced the College Board trustees and black and Hispanic community leaders, including the National Urban League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, that publishing test score data would be in the interests of young blacks and Hispanics. Hanford suggested that when people saw the discrepancies in test scores between minority and white students, that there would be a general ground-swell in support of providing equal educational opportunities.
The critics also charged that vocabulary on individual test questions was not culturally sensitive and therefore discriminated against black and Hispanic students.
In response, The College Board and ETS initiated sensitivity reviews of test items as a way to identify and weed out discriminatory test items. The College Board also piloted testing programs designed to eliminate cultural bias, however, College Board officials continued to claim that the test itself was not biased.
Critics also charged that college admissions officers used the SAT as a way to discriminate against blacks in admissions. The College Board recognized that this was a possibility but tried to disassociate the test from "The Uses and Misuses of Tests," as a College Board Review article by Diane Ravitch was entitled.
More generally, the College Board responded to these critics in a number of ways.
The College Board continued to stand by psychometric judgment of standardized testing as highly reliable, valid, and predictable. The College Board insisted that the test, itself, did not discriminate against minorities.
The College Board began to make clearer distinctions between the tests (as objective and unbiased) and the uses or misuses of tests by college admissions officers and educators.
The College Board attempted to address minority issues through a number of initiatives. The College Board began desegregating its test-taking centers in the South in the late 1950s. The College Board had a program that waived the test fees for those unable to pay for the SAT as a way to encourage poor youth to contemplate higher education.
In The 62nd Annual Report of the College Board (1964-1965), College Board officials were optimistic about the possibilities that the SAT and the Board's testing program could weather the criticism tests received. By 1967-1968, the College Board was less optimistic.
Do you believe that the SAT test is culturally biased? Defend your reasoning taking specific examples from the text and/or your personal experiences.
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I do believe that the SAT is biased, however I do not believe that it is culturally biased. In my opinion race does not determine one's level of thinking. With that said, the SAT is biased because everyone in US should not be given the same exact test to measure their thinking abilities. In a way the SAT determines our futures. While everyone in the state of California may have the same curriculum their are also 49 other states in the US who may have a totally different curriculum. If students in California are learning more than students in another state of course their test scores will differ. Although it has been said that the SAT only measures a students ability to take a test, there is far more behind it, or else it wouldn't have as much power as it does today.
ReplyDeleteThe SAT is culturally biased, not racially but economically. The people in poor communities most likely attend their local schools which may not teach up to par or that may not up to the SAT standards. People in upper middle class or rich communities more than likely attend schools with higher acedemic performance index scores, therefore the students who attend schools in richer neighborhoods will most likely score higher on the s.a.t.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the SAT has been bias for many years now, not just for African Americans but for everybody. However I do not agree that Whites test better than African American. I just believe they receive more help on these types of test because they can afford it. SAT prep classes can range from $100 to at least $2,500 at that is a lot of money to the average person regardless of race. I can almost promise if we had the same resources we can do just as well or even better. There are other races that has not been mention that can test better than whites like Asian and worst than African American such as Hispanics. I think that college board needs to research each race and their testing methods and see the difference and make a better test. Or the ACT will take over the SAT.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have not yet experieced taking the ACT, I have herd comments such that it's easier for Black/African Americans. I have also herd comments that the SAT is bias towards Black/African Americans. I have taken the SAT test but I dont feel that its a bias test. Personally it just depends on how well the person is prepared for the test. So baisicaly the more times u take the practice test, the better chance u have on scoring high.
ReplyDeleteI do think the sat is bias but i also think that we (african americans) can do more on are part to raise are percentages. I think that other races take the sat more serious than we do, for example we would go to crenshaw or where ever we decide to take it and go socialize with our friends instead of getting focused. I havent taken the ACt so I dont have any comments to make about it. I also agree with Mekel about where she said whites dont test better but they prepare better. So if we went off spending loads of money to get prepared for a test then we too would have high scores like them.
ReplyDeleteJasmine Thompson
I do think the SAT is biased, but also feel that the students are just not taught what should be taught to them. They ought to speak up to the teacher so things can work out more better. Although, some people take the SAT more serious than others. In order to learn whats not taught you must take time out of your schedule to learn what it is you dont know. Sense the SAT is being paid for, students should know everything that is being covered on the test.
ReplyDeleteI do think the SAT is biased, but its not culturally biased. I believe that race does not tell how whether a person thinks or not. In the US i do not think its at everyones great advantage, that they have to take the same SAT, because the SAT does not determine the level of someone's thinking skills. It more on the lines determines our future, and where we would end up.
ReplyDeleteThe SAT is not culturally bias to a certain extent because most african americans live in or close to the inner- city where underprivledge schools are, but that doesnt mean that underprivledged schools produce underprivledged students.
ReplyDeleteI dont believe that the SAT is racially bias at all. I believe that everyone regardless of race has an equal opprotunity to do well on the SAT. If they really care about the outcome they should study or work harder to achieve the expectations set, instead of wanting everything to be easy to pass. I think that racism is still a very prominent issue in our world, but i think that the race card is played to often when things dont seem to go out way.
ReplyDelete~Brandon Bingham Per.2
I do not think the SAT is culturally bias. I think that its bias to most people and what they have learned. Some of the things that are on the SAT students have learned and students have not learned which is across america. I guess what made the SAT bias at one time was that kids in middle and upper class schools had SAT test prep and could afford to pay for the SAT unlike lower class schools.
ReplyDeletei don't believe that SAT is biased at all. Based off of the test scores gap between African Americans and Caucasians just shows which race took the time initiative to do better than the rest. Or maybe its the fact the most African Americans at the time did not care about it as much at the time. I can say from personal thoughts that I didn't really care about my education at one point and just wanted to graduate high school and try and have a successful life. People need to push themselves enable to do good in somethings, such as the SAT
ReplyDeleteNo I do not believe that the SAT is bias. I just look at it as most African American students sometimes don't take education as serious as other races do. I also agree with Brandon B. about how society plays the racist card when things don't go right for blacks. And the scores from the SAT are a good example, because they now look at blacks as a failure. But i think we as African Americans should pull it together and try to prove society wrong.
ReplyDeleteNo I dont believe that the SAT is bias. Its just that blackas and other minorites do not get the same equal academic oppertunities as other cultures recieve. Like president George Hanford had stated. As a Black i can honestly say that some of us do not take our education as seriously as others which may also limit us to our oppertunities. so no its impossible for the SAT to be bias because that is not the only test that proves blacks are not as educated as whites. But the ACT and other state wide and nation wide test show the test scores as well.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that the SAT is culturally biased. Although Caucasians scored a higher percentage on the SAT than African Americans does not mean the system is racist. Most African American kids struggle with getting an educaton mostly because of the environments they live in. Besides all issues, both races could get the same help needed to score high on the SAT. It all depends on whose willing to put in the extra work, and time.
ReplyDeleteI do believe the SAT is bias, culturally included. The SAT was designed for the majority not the minority, and by majority I mean white people. I believe minorities don't take the SAT seriously because they have in their minds that they are not going to do well. Generally, the minority community, African Americans to be specific do not value education like they should. They take it for granted, although more that 80 years ago we weren't allowed to read. The SAT was designed for whites, although a small amount of minorities have proven that wrong...thank God! A personal example of this action was displayed while I was researching on the internet, SAT Prep Course the lowest I observed was $90. If it weren't for my school I probably would have taken the SAT without any instructions or guidance.
ReplyDeleteI believe the SAT is not bias. The test give the amount of equal oppuntinty for all raced. When I took the SAT @ a mixed High School, everyone was scared of taking and failing the SAT. Even whites were afraid too.
ReplyDelete- Tyler Nunley
The SAT statistically shows that it is biased towards Black African-Americans who take this exam. It is also a 50/50 percentage that each and every race who takes the SAT either have studied diligently or havent even taken the time to prepare at all.
ReplyDeleteThe SAT isn't really culturely bias. It's just blunt. It gives everyone an opputunity to pass, no matter their race. It just depends on how we use this power.
ReplyDelete-Mari'Keyana Ferrell
In my opinion, The SAT is biased culturally because in some lausd schools in my neighborhood for example, dont have enough funds for books,computers and other supplies to make there learning evironment successful. Therefore, their level of intelligenece may not be the same as someone who has better learning situation. Knowing this they continue to wonder why minorities not do so well on the SAT. The test being discriminated towards minorities, it would be hard but not impossile for us to do well.
ReplyDeletei dont believe its biased, especially on any kind of race. i jus believe that its biased on students brains, that test wants to determine how smart they think you are but, it doesnt or shouldnt. i think hiqh school grades are enough.
ReplyDeleteolivia lavelle
I dont believe the SAT is culturally biased because it doesnt pinpoint any particular race and the SAT is truly a waste of time. Every student shouldnt be put on the spot just because of their ethnicity and their scores on the test.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the S.A.T. is culturally baised because due to unequal educational oppurtunities in the inner city. There are a lot of schools that has teachers who simply dont care about their students and dont care if they get an education or not.
ReplyDeleteI do think that the SAT is biased, however I do not think that it is culturally biased.Personally i think that the SAT makers do not make this test based on race or economic background.I think this test is a way to measure ones ability to comprehend and think analytically.Although the data about blacks or minorities scoring lower than the whites and wealthy may be true, it does not justify the fact that the SAT is discriminating against different thinking levels.With this said the SAT is a very important factor in pursuing your professional field.
ReplyDeleteCarlissa Kyte...thats my comment above i fogot to put my name
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the SAT is biased. I feel that there are too many variables that can effect the outcome of your test scores to simply narrow it down to cultural bias. Although I just said that there are many variables that effect the outcomes of test scores I think that the root of your results are based on preperation. The phrase "Proper Preperation Prevents Poor Performances" immediately came to mind when reading the article. The bias does not come into play with the actual test but with the oportunities given to properly prepare for it. Sometimes minorities don't recieve the same opportunities and resources that white students do. The inequality is most likely an effect of money issues. As other students have pointed out, sometimes minorities dont have the money to send their students to better schools that institute higher learning which puts the student in a position where their choices are limited. This is where the "bias" comes to play. It isn't in the test, but it's where you prepare for it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the SAT is biased. The SAT doesn't show a persons knowledge it just shows there skills in taking standardized tests. The SAT is not culturally biased either because everybody in the same school gets the same test and has the same oppurtunity to show what they know or have learned
ReplyDeleteI personally do not feel the SAT is culturally biased, but the reason for the gap between whites and miniorites scores is because whites receive a better education in oppose to minority students. White schools are better funded than schools in rural areas and they also offer better tools for education, but this is a problem that has existed for ages so when it comes to taking the SAT culture biased does not play a part in the scores between miniorites and whites. There are also fees that we must pay to take standardized test, but we are given fee waivers. We can use the fee waivers but there is a limit and many lower income families just do not have the money to pay for these test. Students who take the SAT or ACT all have equal opporunties to pass but the measures taken to pass differs by school system.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the SAT is biased. Every high school student has equal oppurtunity to do well on the SAT.
ReplyDeleteThe SAT is not racially biased. The White people are not the only ones getting good scores. African Americans do not have higher scores because we dont have the same opportunities as other schools.If this so called test is culturally biased then why is Asian students doing better than the whites students. I went to visit one of my friends in Laguna(shes asian) and she was studying really hard for her SAT and her parents were pushing her to get high scores. Most pople dont have that at home. It happen in all races not just blacks.
ReplyDeleteDa'Neane Bell
I don't think the SAT is culturally biased. I've taken the SAT and I think that the SAT tests' a person's natural knowledge rather than the material learned over their high school year. I have not taken the ACT sooo...I'm not really sure how or in what areas they test you in. All I know is that if you plan on going to college then taking either test and doing well on it is extremely important.
ReplyDeleteI believe the SAT is culturally bias because minorities don't receive equal education as white students. Most white students attend schools that prepare them for the test more. Minorities aren't prepared for the test as much because the school systems which they attend aren't as good as the whites school systems. There is a reason behind the fact that whites do better on the test and personally, i believe that is it. People argue that white people aren't the only ones that achieve high scores. That is very true, but the percentage of minorities that score high is nothing in comparison to the scores of whites. THE SAT IS CULTURALLY BIASSED!
ReplyDelete- Jaja Bakari
I agree with lanell and tyler because I believe the SAT is not biased and everyone is treated equally when taken the SAT. I dont understand why it may be bias, if so someone please inform me.
ReplyDelete