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EducationQuiet 6d · day 7

UC regents weigh SAT reinstatement as math failures mount

Faculty pressure grows as intro math grades decline, but admissions data shows test-free policy hasn't harmed graduation rates.

newest coverage 6d agosummary written 5d ago6 pieces1 likes & upvotes MastodonNewswiresHacker News

What to know

  • UC regents are reconsidering the test-free admissions policy adopted years ago after mounting pressure from 3,000+ faculty members citing rising math failure rates.
  • Math performance has declined measurably over five years, but the courses affect only about 5% of freshmen and overall graduation rates remain stable—creating tension in the data.
  • The review is structured as a months-long evidence-based process, with recommendations due from the Academic Senate by June 2027 and a public listening tour beginning next month.

“first-year students are at times arriving in classrooms lacking basic math and reasoning skills and they have often resorted to teaching remedial middle-school math concepts.”

Faculty members (3,000+), Math and science instructors · LA Times ↗

UC Board of Regents Decision-maker on admissions policyRegent Lark Park UC regentUC faculty (3,000+) Math and science instructorsUCLA and UC Riverside admissions officials Admissions leadershipMaria Anguiano UC Academic Senate admissions board chair

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 4 pieces in two hours at Sep 17, 5 AM; 6 pieces over 7 days (3 articles · 3 posts) Sep 17, 5 AM — 4 pieces · 2 articles · 2 posts — Mastodon 2, Newswires 2Sep 17, 7 AM — quietSep 17, 9 AM — quietSep 17, 11 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Sep 17, 1 PM — quietSep 17, 3 PM — quietSep 17, 5 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 17, 7 PM — quietSep 17, 9 PM — quietSep 17, 11 PM — quietSep 18, 1 AM — quietSep 18, 3 AM — quietSep 18, 5 AM — quietSep 18, 7 AM — quietSep 18, 9 AM — quietSep 18, 11 AM — quietSep 18, 1 PM — quietSep 18, 3 PM — quietSep 18, 5 PM — quietSep 18, 7 PM — quietSep 18, 9 PM — quietSep 18, 11 PM — quietSep 19, 1 AM — quietSep 19, 3 AM — quietSep 19, 5 AM — quietSep 19, 7 AM — quietSep 19, 9 AM — quietSep 19, 11 AM — quietSep 19, 1 PM — quietSep 19, 3 PM — quietSep 19, 5 PM — quietSep 19, 7 PM — quietSep 19, 9 PM — quietSep 19, 11 PM — quietSep 20, 1 AM — quietSep 20, 3 AM — quietSep 20, 5 AM — quietSep 20, 7 AM — quietSep 20, 9 AM — quietSep 20, 11 AM — quietSep 20, 1 PM — quietSep 20, 3 PM — quietSep 20, 5 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 9 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — quietSep 21, 1 AM — quietSep 21, 3 AM — quietSep 21, 5 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quietToday, 5 AM — quietToday, 7 AM — quietToday, 9 AM — quietToday, 11 AM — quietToday, 1 PM — quietToday, 3 PM — quietToday, 5 PM — quietToday, 7 PM — quietToday, 9 PM — quiet 1–2
Sep 18Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21yesterdaynow · 11:21 PM ET
  1. 2

    UC launches public review process with listening tour

    The UC regents framed the discussion as the opening of a months-long evidence-based review. The admissions board will deliver recommendations in February, the Academic Senate will send its recommendation to regents by June. A statewide listening tour begins next month at education conferences in Palm Springs, Chula Vista and San Diego.

    “UC's current test-free policy followed years of faculty review, regents' deliberation, legal developments and pandemic-related access concerns.”
    — UC spokesperson
  2. background

    3,000+ faculty sign letters demanding SAT return — Faculty members across all nine UC undergraduate campuses have signed two letters pressing for the SAT's reinstatement. They report that first-year students often arrive lacking basic math and reasoning skills, forcing instructors to teach remedial middle-school mathematics.

  3. background

    Admissions officials report stable graduation rates despite test-free policy — UCLA and UC Riverside admissions officials told the regents they found no evidence that students admitted without test scores are less likely to stay in school or graduate, countering faculty concerns.

  4. background

    UC data shows five-year decline in intro math grades — Average grades in preparatory math, precalculus and calculus have declined over five years, with increases in D and F grades, no-pass marks and withdrawals. However, only 31% of students who entered fall 2023 took these introductory courses; 41% started in more advanced courses. Intro math represents about 5% of classes freshmen take.

  5. 1

    UC regents open discussion on SAT reinstatement

    The 26-member UC Board of Regents held their first sustained public discussion about whether to reinstate the SAT requirement. The session surfaced conflicting data: math performance is declining while overall graduation rates remain stable. One regent who voted to eliminate the exam said he was beginning to think the decision "may have been 'a mistake.'"

    “Some of the data lead me to think we do have a math problem, but I don't exactly know what it is.”
    — Regent Lark Park

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 3 outlets More UC students are failing intro math courses as regents weigh reinstating SAT

    first by Mercury News, 6d ago · also LA Times, LA Times California