The Standardized Test War Heats Up Again

For quite a few years, the opponents of using standardized tests in college admissions were riding high. More and more schools were falling for the argument that the tests were unfair if not outright racist, and were not good at predicting whether a student would succeed in college. More recently, the battle’s course has shifted, as numerous colleges and universities have reinstated the requirement that applicants submit their scores on one of the tests. Naturally, this has inflamed the anti-testing forces. In a New York Times piece published on Sept. 16, Miriam Pawel declares, “This California Educational Juggernaut Doesn’t Need...