From colleges dropping the SAT to proposals to delay math “tracking” of gifted students until the 11th grade, America is wrestling with the meaning of merit in education. It’s a discussion spanning decades, but one that has become particularly noisy and accusatory in the wake of the pandemic and a national reckoning on race. Are grades and tests the best measures of individual achievement? Or should public schools take a more holistic approach that increases opportunities for underserved students?
In San Francisco, a lawsuit is challenging the school board’s decision to drop exam and grade requirements at the elite Lowell High School and instead admit students according to a ranked-choice lottery.