IACAC 2019 Keynote Address

Recently, I had the honor of delivering the Keynote address at the 2019 IACAC Conference. I thought it would be cool to share some of the highlights of that talk and some of the reference resources here.

The core message of my talk was that the American educational system is not a meritocracy as most people think of the word, but instead is a meritocracy in the original sense of the word as it was satirically coined by Michael Young in 1958.

There is example after example of ways in which our society rewards wealth and calls it merit. When we look at the top factors in the college admissions process, almost all of them favor wealth, leading to great inequities in college access and ultimately contributing to income and wealth inequalities.

Until we address and dismantle the Youngian Meritocracy, we'll never have a true society that rewards individual achievement. Inspired by my friends at Noodle Pros, I pointed out that some students (most likely those who went to private school) have prepared for and taken 4 standardized tests similar to the SAT before reaching 11th grade, and that conveys real benefits in a society that validates almost everything with tests.

While I don't think tests are worthless, we have to seriously reconsider how we use them. Tests are being misused and overused, leading to greater advantages for those students who had the most exposure to "SAT style tests" and the institutions they attend. We have to acknowledge that superintendents, politicians, and college presidents who misuse test scores are perpetuating the Youngian meritocracy. SAT and ACT scores are being used to admit students to high school, admit students to dual enrollment programs, rate the quality of high schools, admit students to college, certify teachers, bonus teachers while on the job, and help make decisions about job placement and economic opportunity.

I delved into history, pointing out that since the time of Carl Brigham, father of the SAT, who in 1934 told us that factors impacting testing are more than intelligence. Also in 1968, Sidney Sulkin and S. A. Kendrick, Vice President at College Board, pointed out that the increasingly narrowing of the score range of admitted students was a problem.

So as universities must accept the fact that inequalities in our system mean that test scores from wealthier students are likely representative of years of investment to create an impeccably designed record of the best possible testing experience, while scores from more marginalized groups are likely a test they took for free one day when they showed up to school.

In this context, and given how imprecise tests are (SEM, SED, etc.), considering test optional makes sense. However, I also challenge anyone speaking about test optional to consider how you talk about test optional and who will benefit from policy changes.

I closed the presentation with a challenge to my colleagues to fight the evils in this system. Whether it's a big evil or a small evil, we can each find something to address and correct or mitigate. I gave some examples of people who did some good things in my recent memory and suggested finding friends and coworkers who will complement their efforts and push their visions forward.

IACAC 2019 Keynote Address

References and Reading List