>> THANK YOU. %
YOU, TOO.
>>> MORE THAN A %
HUNDRED COLLEGES %
AND UNIVERSITIES %
HAVE MADE THE %
S.A.T. %
OPTIONAL FOR THE %
NEXT SCHOOL YEAR
BECAUSE OF THE
PANDEMIC. %
THAT INCLUDES
THE ENTIRE %
UNIVERSITY OF %
CALIFORNIA %
SCHOOL SYSTEM, %
WHO MIGHT END UP %
DOING AWAY WITH
THE TESTS %
FOREVER. %
NBC NEWS %
CORRESPONDENT, %
ANTONIA HILTON %
IS COVERING THE %
STORY WITH THE
REPORT ON QUICKI
-- QIBI. %
COLLEGES HAVE
BEEN THINKING %
ABOUT DITCHING %
THESE TESTS FOR %
WHITE A WHILE %
NOW. %
CAN YOU REMIND %
US WHY? %
>> THAT’S RIGHT. %
THE DEBATE OVER
THE FAIRNESS OF %
THESE TESTS, THE
S.A.T. %
AND A.C.T.
THAT’S BEEN
RAISING DEBATES %
FOR DECADES,
ARGUABLY. %
BUT REALLY %
CHEATING OVER %
THE LAST COUPLE %
OF YEARS.
EDUCATORS AND
ADMINISTRATORS %
ARGUE THAT THESE %
ARE INDICATORS %
OF HOW A STUDENT %
IS GOING TO %
PERFORM. %
HOW THEY’RE %
GOING TO DO ON %
CAMPUS.
GIVE YOU A FULL
PICTURE OF THAT. %
ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE THEN %
YOU HAVE
ADVOCATES WHO %
ARGUE, ACTUALLY, %
THESE TEST %
SCORES TELL US %
WHOSE PARENTS
HAVE THE MOST %
MONEY.
THAT IS, OF
COURSE, %
CONVERSATION IN %
2019, WHEN THE %
VARSITY BLUES %
CHEATING SCANDAL %
HAPPENED.
IT FLIPPED %
REALLY WELL OFF %
CALIFORNIA. %
AND THE UC
SYSTEM WAS %
DEBATING THIS %
PRIDE.
THIS HAS REALLY
KICKED THIS %
DEBATE INTO HIGH %
GEAR.
>> SO WE’RE SEEN
STUDENT
-- WE’VE SEEN
STUDENTS %
PREPARING FOR %
THIS. %
WHAT DOES THIS %
MEAN FOR THEM?
>> SO THE
S.A.T.s AND %
A.C.T.s, IT’S NO
SECRET IT’S %
ALWAYS BEEN VERY
STRESSFUL FOR %
STUDENTS. %
AND THE STUDENTS %
WE FOCUSED ON %
ARE STUDENTS OF %
LOW INCOME, OF %
COLOR, MAYBE
ENGLISH IS THEIR %
SECOND LANGUAGE. %
AND AS FOR %
TESTING, THEIR %
PARENTS MAY NOT %
HAVE THE MONEY %
FOR THAT. %
SO THEY’RE
WATCHING %
CLASSMATE OR %
PEOPLE THEY KNOW
AROUND THEM N. %
THIS CASE THE
STATE OF %
CALIFORNIA. %
PARENTS SET THEM
UP. %
AND THAT ADDS A
LAYER OF %
ANXIETY. %
>> AND ADD %
ACADEMICS. %
LOOK AT KIDS WHO
ARE LIVING IN %
TIGHT QUARTERS
AT HOME. %
THEIR PARENTS
MAY HAVE LOST %
WORK. %
AND THAT’S THE %
CASE FOR HALEY, %
A STUDENT IN THE
SANTA ANA AREA %
THAT I SPOKE TO. %
>> A 4.0 %
STUDENT.
A LOT OF RIDING %
HAD OR
HER. %
SHE’S FROM A %
LOWER-INCOME %
FAMILY IN SANTA %
ANA. %
AND SHE WANTS TO
GET INTO UCLA,
THE MOST SOUGHT-%
AFTER CAMPUS IN %
THE UNIVERSITY %
OF CALIFORNIA %
SYSTEMS.
SHE FOUND OUT
S.A.T.s WERE %
CANCELED DUE TO %
THE PANDEMIC. %
>> IT’S REALLY %
DIFFERENT. %
LAST SEMESTER,
IT WAS LIKE, %
LET’S PREPARE
FOR THE S.A.T. %
IT’S GOING TO BE
THE BIGGEST TEST %
EVER. %
AND NOW, IT’S %
LIKE, ARE WE %
REALLY GOING TO %
BE ABLE TO TAKE
IT IN PERSON? %
>> BECAUSE OF
THE COUNTRYWIDE %
SHUTDOWN. %
MORE THAN 100
COLLEGES AND %
UNIVERSITIES, %
UCLA INCLUDED, %
HAVE MADE
STANDARDIZED %
TESTS, OPTIONAL
FOR THE 2021
SCHOOL YEAR. %
>> SO ALL EYES
ARE REALLY ON %
THIS RIGHT NOW %
IN CALIFORNIA. %
THERE IS A %
CRITICAL VOTE %
COMING UP ON MAY %
21st, WHICH IS %
JUST A COUPLE OF
DAYS AWAY. %
AND THE UC %
SYSTEM IS GOING %
TO DECIDE, IN
THE MIDST OF %
THIS PANDEMIC. %
A LOT OF
COLLEGES AND %
UNIVERSITIES
DECIDED THESE %
TESTS AREN’T
ESSENTIAL RIGHT %
NOW. %
ARE THEY %
ACTUALLY EVER %
GOING TO BE %
ESSENTIAL AGAIN?
>> IT’S SO HARD %
TO STATE HOW %
MASSIVE THAT UC
SCHOOL SYSTEM %
IS. %
IF THEY DITCH %
THIS %
REQUIREMENT, IS %
THERE A SENSE %
THAT OTHER
SCHOOLS MIGHT %
FOLLOW?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN,
EDUCATORS AND %
ACTIVISTS AROUND %
THE COUNTRY ARE %
GOING TO BE
WATCHING THIS %
HISTORIC ZOOM %
MEETING THAT IS %
HAPPENING IN %
JUST A COUPLE OF %
DAYS.
THE UC SYSTEM IS %
CONSIDERED ONE %
OF IF NOT THE %
MOST PRESTIGIOUS %
PUBLIC COLLEGE %
SYSTEMS IN THE %
COUNTRY. %
THEY HAVE BEEN %
LEADERS ON %
EVERYTHING IN
THE COUNTRY. %
THEY WERE ONE OF %
THE EARLIEST.
AND ALL OF THESE
COLLEGES AND %
UNIVERSITIES %
COPIED THEM. %
THERE’S A LOT OF %
ANTICIPATION. %
A LOT OF %
EXPECTATION THAT
IF THEY DECIDE, %
HEY, ACTUALLY, %
WE DON’T NEED
THESE THINGS %
ANYMORE. %
WE STILL HAVE A %
WONDERFUL %
PLATFORM.
THE TEST SCORES
MADE NO %
DIFFERENCE. %
AND THEY DECIDE, %
WE’RE NEVER %
GOING TO USE
THEM AGAIN. %
PEOPLE EXPECT IT %
TO BE LIKE AN %
AVALANCHE.
IF THE UC SYSTEM
DOES IT. %
THEY DON’T THINK
THESE ARE %
ESSENTIAL. %
THEN WHY SHOULD %
WE?
>> GOING TO BE %
SO INTERESTING %
TO SEE HOW THIS %
DEVELOPS.
THANKS SO MUCH, %
ANTONIA.
>> THANK YOU FOR %
HAVING ME. %
>> AND YOU CAN
WATCH ANTONIA’S %
FULL REPORT. %
THE FULL STORY %
ON THE REPORT. %
THAT IS BY NBC %
NEWS. %