Citing 'severe' math deficits, UC faculty demand a return to SAT tests for STEM

Role of SAT / Standardized Testing

• Many argue removing SAT/ACT exposed and amplified grade inflation: a 4.0 from a weak school is indistinguishable from a 4.0 from a rigorous one.
• Standardized tests are seen as a relatively cheap, objective signal compared to costly extracurriculars, private tutoring, and sports pathways that favor the wealthy.
• Critics note test prep is itself a big-money industry; rich families can buy high-end coaching, and SAT math is considered too easy and compressed at the top.
• Several commenters say SATs are good for coarse screening (e.g., hundreds of points) but not fine-grained ranking; some suggest bucketed scores plus lotteries or weighted lotteries.

Math Preparedness and Remediation in UC

• UC faculty report first‑year STEM students needing re‑teaching of elementary and middle‑school math, with UCSD’s lowest remedial cohort ballooning from a few dozen to hundreds.
• Professors describe pressure not to fail large fractions of classes and to dilute rigor, while also being unable to cover required curricula if they reteach basics.
• Some note this is not entirely new (other state schools used placement tests and remedial tracks decades ago) but agree current scale is unprecedented.

K‑12 System, California Policy, and “Equity”

• Many blame K‑12 changes in California: detracking, delaying or throttling algebra and calculus, and focusing on “equity” over acceleration, which pushes advanced instruction into private/after‑school programs.
• Others stress COVID disruptions, weak curricula, and political mandates to pass students regardless of mastery.
• There’s disagreement on funding: some say CA schools are underfunded; others provide figures showing large, rising per‑pupil spending with declining outcomes.

Equality vs Equity Debate

• One camp says “equity” has become de facto pursuit of equal outcomes, yielding lowered standards, scrapping gifted programs, and race‑based admissions adjustments.
• Another camp counters that educational equity is about removing barriers (poverty, disability, bad schools), not guaranteeing identical results; failing to address this cements inherited advantage.
• Long subthread debates race, SAT score gaps, affirmative action, and whether disparate outcomes imply systemic bias or reflect broader socioeconomic and ability differences.

Technology, Attention, and Learning

• Several teachers and parents say mandatory laptops/iPads and smartphones undermine focus; handwriting and paper are seen as superior for math and retention.
• Others note that tech can help but is being inserted for its own sake; social media and “TikTok brain” are blamed for reduced attention spans.

Suggested Remedies

• Re‑instate SAT/ACT (and possibly more advanced subject tests) for STEM admissions.
• Use universal placement tests and scaled remedial programs, potentially pre‑matriculation.
• Restore tracking and gifted/advanced math paths while preserving access routes for underprepared but capable students.
• Broader ideas include vouchers/charters, stricter failing policies with easier entry, and refocusing schools on mastery rather than metrics or ideology.