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‘The SATs have never been about equity,' writes Pepper Stetler for Inside Higher Ed

The history of the SAT raises questions about how we value and measure intelligence, writes the author of the new book, 'A Measure of Intelligence'

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Voices

‘The SATs have never been about equity,' writes Pepper Stetler for Inside Higher Ed

Published

To support their decisions to reinstate testing requirements, elite colleges have recently claimed that standardized test scores are important factors in helping them evaluate a candidate’s potential for success. But many other research studies consistently show that high school grades are better predictors of college success than standardized tests, writes Pepper Stetler, professor of Art History and author of a new book, “A Measure of Intelligence: One Mother’s Reckoning with the IQ Test.” 

“Why the difference in the research? It depends on what measures of success we look for and which institutions we focus on. In one study that focuses on elite colleges, measures of success include ‘attending an elite graduate school’ and ‘working at a prestigious firm.’ But if our focus shifts to a broader perspective, studies show that high school grades can be better predictors of college GPAs and four-year degree completion.

“The connection between college entrance exams and intelligence tests should lead us to examine how we culturally and socially define intelligence in ways that only provide opportunities for certain kinds of learners. Real, meaningful change in our education system would mean rethinking how we value and measure intelligence,” Stetler writes. 

Read Stetler’s article, “The SATS Have Never Been About Equity” in Inside Higher Ed (Aug. 19).

Stetler writes extensively on issues facing people with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers. 

  • Her book, “A Measure of Intelligence,” published this month, investigates the origins and influence of the IQ test on our modern education system, questions how we define and judge intelligence, challenges its flawed foundation and argues for a fundamental reevaluation of how we understand an individual’s perceived potential.
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