Parents and community members in the San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD) achieved another great victory in local organizing recently. On August 6th,the school board voted 4-0 (1 absent) to adopt a district-wide resolution, urging the University of California (UC) system to reinstate standardized testing for undergraduate admissions in STEM fields. With the passage of such an unprecedented statement, SDUHSD has allied itself with both the UC Academic Senate and nearly 2,000 UC professors who signed a petition for the same purpose.

On August 12th, five UC regent candidates - for either first appointment or re-appointment - appeared before the California Senate Rules Committee for their confirmation hearing. In a surprising reversal of stances, former UC Regents Chair Janet Reilly - who was instrumental in approving UC’s test-blind plan in 2020 - went on the record to say that the Board of Regents is “completely open” to considering reinstating the tests. Other candidates also weighed in with more favorable views (than previously) towards standardized testing and academic revival. For instance, first-time appointee Regent Rusty Areias noted that he has gotten many messages from “physics teachers” concerned about students not knowing “basic algebra” and “social science teachers” worried that “kids can’t read and write.”

One might rightfully conclude with a certain level of optimism about the future of higher education in California. But it is important to bear in mind that progress does not happen in a vacuum. Six years ago, UC Regents capitulated to the political winds of racial reckoning and disregarded its own Academic Senate in eliminating tests for admissions. This week, current and incoming regents changed positions because they are responding to media and public opinions fallouts from the faculty petition.

Just as individual UC professors have forced these higher education administrators to contend with academic declines as a result of the test-blind movement, parents and local advocates are behind SDUHSD’s passage of the test-reinstating resolution. For months prior to the Board’s vote last week, local stakeholders had put together compelling evidence and lobbied the school board trustees diligently. To effectively curate and disseminate information, organizers, notably those from the Asian American Parent Alliance of San Diego, launched an informative website entitled “Bring Back the SAT.” The website documents quantitative evidence of academic declines at UC and provides a customizable resolution kit for other school districts. The resolution kit includes: a board resolution template ready for any school board to adopt, a background data brief, sample Q&As, full citable source list, and framing references for local media outreach. Not only has this grassroots initiative succeeded in facilitating the local board resolution, it has also offered tangible resources for parents and advocates elsewhere!

Friend, may this encouraging story from the San Dieguito Union High School District become a solid beginning for a much-needed, bottom-up movement for reclaiming merit and equality in education. If you are interested in learning more, please visit https://bringbackthesat.com/. You can also reach out to CFER directly with your feedback, observations and suggestions.

Thank you!