The University of Tennessee system has restored requirement that all applicants submit SAT or ACT scores, starting with new students wishing to enroll in the fall of 2023.
The ACT praised the decision, issuing a statement saying: “By the way resolution urging the system’s governing board to take objective action, the state Senate noted “the importance of fair access to objective standardized testing for college readiness and the right to receive scholarships, especially for students from underprivileged groups”. Another factor was a study that showed that combining high school grade point average and standardized test scores is a better predictor of college grade point average than just high school grade point average. ”
Executive Director of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing (FairTest) Robert Schaefer took a different view. “If higher education exam requirements are set by elected officials and their appointees, rather than by admissions experts or educators, it is not surprising that political and ideological considerations outweigh the accuracy and fairness of tests.”
