Education Studies 144 - Putting History to the Test: Lessons from 100 Years of Standardized Testing

June 23rd, 1926: the SAT is first administered to 8,000 students. April 6th, 2020: in response to COVID lockdowns, Amherst College suspends the requirement for prospective students to submit SAT/ACT scores, a policy that remains in place to this day. By 2026, more than 80% of US colleges and universities have adopted test-optional policies, with profound effects up and down the educational system. What motivated this paradigm shift? Why were standardized tests originally adopted? Are they fair? This course will shine a light on the history and legacy of educational assessment. Students will explore key moments in the history of assessment, including the origins of early intelligence testing, the rise (and, perhaps, the fall) of the SAT as a gatekeeper to higher education, the use of the GRE in graduate admissions, and the role of professional exams like: LSAT, MCAT, and NCLEX. Along the way, students will challenge underlying assumptions of these assessments: is the data they yield actually objective and unbiased? Do these tests measure what they claim to measure? Work in this course will enable students to carefully examine the ways in which academic evaluation has shaped access to education and opportunity across history through reading, discussion, and written reflection.

Fall Semester. Professor Rosenthal. Enrollment capped at 25 students.

How to handle overenrollment: EDST majors will be prioritized, then sophomores, first year, juniors

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Reading academic research, class discussions, quantitative reasoning, oral presentations, written work