University System of Maryland moves toward removing SAT/ACT requirement

Following nationwide developments, the College System of Maryland is debating eradicating standardized check scores, such because the SAT and ACT, as an admissions requirement for incoming first-year college students. 

A piece group of provosts and institutional admissions representatives, convened by USM to judge the testing requirement, has advisable that the system amend its Coverage on Undergraduate Admissions to remove the SAT and ACT as a systemwide admissions requirement in any respect system universities.

The total Board of Regents could have the chance to vote on the measure at its assembly on June 17. 

Because it presently stands, anybody making use of to a USM faculty who graduated highschool inside three years of their anticipated enrollment should embody an SAT or ACT rating of their software. Underneath the revised coverage, although, every particular person establishment would have the choice to determine whether or not to proceed requiring check scores. Broadly, particular person universities are allowed to have extra rigorous admissions necessities than the system as an entire. 

In keeping with minutes from a Could 10 assembly of the USM Board of Regents Committee on Training Coverage and Scholar Life, the work group and different USM stakeholders consider that “the flexibleness is right, as ACT/SAT is commonly a barrier to admission and GPA is a robust (and sometimes stronger) indicator of pupil success.” Moreover, the admissions professionals consider that eliminating testing necessities may make USM faculties extra aggressive. 

Through the pandemic, many faculties — together with these in USM — quickly dropped SAT and ACT necessities, largely because of the check being canceled amid shutdowns and stay-at-home orders (though some faculties and universities had finished away the necessities even previous to the pandemic). Now, some faculties are extending their test-optional admissions insurance policies, whereas others, together with the Massachusetts Institute of Know-how, are selecting to reinstate the requirement. 

Critics of standardized testing necessities argue that they will current unfair obstacles for some candidates, together with people who don’t converse English as a local language, can’t afford costly check preparation supplies and programs, or in any other case battle with standardized checks. Alternatively, proponents of those necessities argue that the checks provide establishments an goal metric for evaluating pupil readiness. 

Regent Andrew Smarick, previously the chair of the Maryland Larger Training Fee and president of the Maryland State Board of Training, spoke in assist of testing necessities on the Could 10 committee assembly, in response to the assembly minutes. He argued that check scores are freed from human bias and might profit college students who battle with different software standards. 

However Joann Boughman, USM’s senior vice chancellor for educational and pupil affairs, responded that standardized checks may be biased and that faculties are studying the best way to take a extra holistic strategy to admissions, factoring in a spread of each goal and subjective standards. 

One college inside the system already provides a test-optional coverage; since 2006, Salisbury College has permitted college students with a highschool GPA of three.5 or larger to forego submitting standardized check scores. In keeping with Antoinette Coleman, affiliate vice chancellor for educational affairs, the standard of Salisbury’s college students has not declined in over a decade because the coverage was carried out. 

USM Chancellor Jay Perman advisable the modification be adopted, and the committee finally authorised the change in a 5-2 vote.