California Governor Gavin Newsom declined to directly address whether he would support reinstating SAT and ACT requirements for University of California admissions, emphasizing that he needs to see more data before forming a decision. The governor's comments came in response to an open letter signed by more than 3,000 University of California faculty members urging the system to bring back standardized tests.
In May, UC faculty members raised concerns about the academic preparedness of incoming students, particularly in mathematics. A report from the UC San Diego revealed that approximately 12.5% of incoming students failed to meet high school math standards, and about 8.3% fell below middle school math standards. This situation emerged after the UC Board of Regents voted in 2020 to phase out the SAT and ACT from admissions considerations.
During a press event to mark the start of the new academic year, Newsom stated that while he has his own views on standardized testing, he is "interested in evidence" and wants "the data" to inform any potential decision. He noted that he has discussed the matter with UC President James B. Milliken and the board, and will continue to await more information.
"The data needs to bear out the ultimate determination on this, but again, there's some contra-data that's coming out and suggesting different things," Newsom said.
The University of California has indicated that it is conducting a review of its standardized testing policy following the faculty letter. Milliken stated that the Board of Regents and university leadership are taking the issue of college preparedness seriously and that the UC Academic Senate is undertaking a "comprehensive, data-driven review" to strengthen student readiness and success.
Concerns about student preparedness have also been voiced by educators. Zvezdelina Stankova, a mathematics professor at UC Berkeley, wrote in an op-ed that many students arrive at college significantly behind in mathematics, with some needing instruction on concepts typically taught in middle school. Karajean Hyde, co-director of the UC Irvine Math Project, has also called for objective benchmarks like standardized tests to help ensure a consistent measure of academic readiness.
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