169. The SAT And ACT Are Classist Not Racist

Feb 19, 2021

If sheer volume and vehemence of accusations of racism were sufficient evidence, the case against standardized tests would be closed. But what if testing tilts in a different direction entirely? Amy and Mike invited educator Ted Dorsey to explain how the SAT and ACT are classist rather than racist.

 What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Who says the SAT and ACT are racist?
2. What traits of the tests are traditionally called racist and why?
3. What aspects of socioeconomic class play into testing?
4. How do parental wealth and education influence children’s test scores?
5. In what way might test scores be seen as the proverbial canary in the coal mine?

MEET OUR GUEST

A graduate of Princeton and UCLA, Ted Dorsey has been tutoring students for the SAT and ACT since 2000. Ted earned perfect scores on the SAT and ACT. He is the founder of Tutor Ted, Inc. and the author of four test prep books available now on Amazon.

When he’s not helping students prepare for standardized tests, Ted plays piano and guitar. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband Matt and their two beloved kitties, Max and TK.

Find Ted at https://tutorted.com.

LINKS

Rich students get better SAT scores—here’s why

The Widening Racial Scoring Gap on the SAT College Admissions Test

Disparities in Wealth by Race and Ethnicity in the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances

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ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.