Most UC campuses’ “test optional” policy gives specialized, non-disabled students a “second look” for admission, said Almeida County Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman, who ruled in favor of Kavika Smith v. University of California on Tuesday.
At the same time, he said, “special appearances” can be denied to low-income students and students with disabilities who are unable to access the tests. Therefore, the conclusion is that all tests should be removed together.
But the judge’s ruling went further on Monday, barring students from considering the scores they have chosen to perform.
The current Covid 19 epidemic has resulted in a ban on the availability of test sites, Seligman said in his ruling. “While opportunities for all students to take the exam are limited, for persons with disabilities, the ability to find accommodation or find suitable test locations for testing is ‘almost zero’.”
In a statement, a University of California spokesman said he “respectfully disagrees with the court’s ruling.”
“The decree could interfere with the university’s efforts to implement appropriate and comprehensive admission policies and its ability to attract and enroll students from a variety of backgrounds and experiences,” the spokesperson said.
The UC system said it was considering further legal action in the case, and suggested lower income in the fall of 2020 and an increase in college-to-college admissions from the first paycheck.
The SAT and ACT did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
Poet Smith v. University of California. The plaintiffs of the Regents are five individual students and six organizations: K College Ledge Access Plan, Little Manila Rising, Dolores Hurta Foundation, K College Ledge Seekers, Chinese for Effective Action, and Community Coalition.
As the country’s largest university system, the ruling on UC is monumental. Many students and advocates have pushed for the removal of these required standardized tests, arguing that they do not really reflect the student’s academic ability.
Research has repeatedly shown that students from wealthy families score higher in SAT and ACT than students from low-income families.
CNN’s Alicia Lee contributed to this report.
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