(December 25, 2018 at 10:24 pm)Grandizer Wrote: The whole test is culturally biased because when they first put these questions on trial, they always keep in mind how well white students (the norm) do on every question in these tests. Furthermore, it's not only about the questions or items in these items; it's also about external but relevant factors that favor some groups over others when it comes to performance on these tests.
Did you look at the questions? They are reading and math questions. Let's be blunt about this-- the reason some students do worse at these questions is they aren't as good at reading and math as other students. There's no special "black math" that is getting under-represented due to cultural bias.
The problem, as I mentioned before, is that this is not a racial screening test-- the kids applying for certain disciplines actually need those math and reading skills in order to succeed. I agree it's unfair that black kids, on average, have grown up in an environment that hasn't fostered either ability or interest in the skills they'll need to get into a good college and get a good career.
But filling up university classes with underskilled students isn't going to help them-- it's just going to increase the alarmingly low graduation rates that black students already experience.
We have to be clear about the goals, here. It seems to me that the pyschology of black people in America is damaged-- there's no expectation of a vehicle for success, few good teachers willing to help, and a sense that even if you work hard, you will not have the opportunity to succeed. The solution for this isn't handouts at the collegiate level-- it's fostering REAL successes at all ages, and providing incentives that matter from the cradle right up to the Harvard application.
