{"id":2031082,"date":"2023-09-13T19:49:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T23:49:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/can-caltech-make-new-entrance-standards-work\/"},"modified":"2023-09-13T19:53:19","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T23:53:19","slug":"can-caltech-make-new-entrance-standards-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/can-caltech-make-new-entrance-standards-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Caltech implement new entrance standards successfully?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcan-caltech-make-new-entrance-standards-work%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2031082&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <em>Commentary<\/em>\n  <\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Caltech is one of the world\u2019s premier scientific and technical institutes. Its full name is\u2062 the California Institute of Technology. Starting with\u2064 fall 2024 applicants, it\u2019s\u2063 going to allow an \u200calternative system for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-education-sec-on-womens-school-sports-we-have-a-legal-responsibility-to-include-transgender-athletes\/\" title=\"Biden Education Sec On Women\u2019s School Sports: We Have a \u2018Legal Responsibility\u2019 to Include Transgender Athletes\">high school students<\/a> to \u200cmeet its rigorous science and math\u2063 entrance standards, such as taking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.khanacademy.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Khan Academy<\/a> courses.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Consider me skeptical.\u200d But\u200d here\u2019s what Jared R. Leadbetter,\u2062 professor of \u200cenvironmental\u2063 microbiology and chair of the \u2063first-year admissions committee, explained in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.caltech.edu\/about\/news\/changes-to-caltechs-admissions-application-create-pathway-to-greater-equity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statement<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cOur goal\u200d in admissions is to make \u200dbarriers to access as low as possible for talented STEM students. The Caltech faculty recognize that one or more of the STEM courses that we require for admission may not be available to all students. The new\u200b policy aims to provide an avenue for\u2063 such students to \u200dfill that gap in formal coursework by \u200dengaging in\u2062 effective independent study of \u200bthe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/caltech-applicants-can-now-take-online-classes-to-fulfill-calculus-physics-chemistry-requirements\/\" title=\"Caltech applicants can now fulfill calculus, physics, and chemistry requirements through online classes.\">relevant subject material<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<div class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related\u2064 Stories<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/caltech-removes-admissions-requirements-for-some-stem-courses-5484564\">Caltech Applicants Can Now Take Free Online Classes\u200b to Meet Calculus, Physics, Chemistry Requirements<\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">8\/31\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/caltech-removes-admissions-requirements-for-some-stem-courses-5484564\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/caltech-applicants-wont-need-sat-act-until-2025-4641987\">Caltech Applicants Won\u2019t\u2063 Need SAT, ACT Until 2025<\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">8\/3\/2022<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/caltech-applicants-wont-need-sat-act-until-2025-4641987\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The\u200d statement noted \u2063some science \u200cand math courses \u2064are not\u200d offered in all \u200bhigh \u200cschools, especially in rural areas with small \u200bschool districts:\u2063 \u201cTo address these disparities, Caltech is piloting a new program with Khan Academy and <a href=\"https:\/\/schoolhouse.world\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Schoolhouse.world<\/a> to offer free \u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/coda.io\/@shw\/caltech-course-requirements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">online courses, \u2064tutoring, and a certification process<\/a> for potential applicants. The \u200dcertification process\u200c allows students who \u200bdo not have\u200d access to these courses\u2064 or \u2064who have unresolvable course conflicts to take calculus, \u2064chemistry, and physics classes through Khan\u2063 Academy. \u2064These \u2064students may then \u2064submit an examination score through Schoolhouse.world\u200d that is at \u200cor above 90 percent to \u200dmeet the course requirement. Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exam scores may also be\u200c submitted to\u200b meet the requirements for application.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Since they started in 2006,\u200d I\u2019ve\u200d checked out the Khan Academy courses and they are excellent, and free.\u200d Anybody\u2063 can take them. They indeed are \u200ba true innovation\u2063 for this digital age. The Schoolhouse.world certification makes sure the kids know their stuff. Presumably, anyone cheating would be found\u2062 out upon entering Caltech because they \u200cwould be unable to do\u200c the course work.<\/p>\n<h2>Affirmative Action Workarounds<\/h2>\n<p>But here\u2019s something worrying from the statement: \u201cOther adjustments include new\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/caltech-applicants-can-now-take-free-online-classes-to-meet-calculus-physics-chemistry-requirements\/\" title=\"Caltech applicants can now fulfill calculus, physics, and chemistry requirements through free online classes.\">short-essay\u200c questions<\/a> and\u200d added guidelines \u2063regarding the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in applications.\u201d The problem is these essay questions could be used to \u2062rig\u200b the system to get around the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s June <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/opinions\/22pdf\/20-1199_hgdj.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">decision<\/a> banning\u200b affirmative action.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>As Chief Justice John Roberts \u200dwrote for\u2064 the majority, \u201cAt the same time, \u200bnothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant\u2019s discussion of how race affected the applicant\u2019s life, so long as that discussion is \u2063concretely tied to \u200ca\u2062 quality of character \u200dor unique ability that the particular \u200bapplicant can contribute to the university.\u201d But \u201cuniversities may not simply establish through application essays or other\u200c means \u2062the \u200cregime we <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/all-clear-given-following-supreme-court-police-investigation-of-suspicious-package\/\" title=\"Supreme Court police investigation concludes, all-clear given for suspicious package.\">hold unlawful today<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>We\u2019ll see how that works out. In California, universities already have been using workarounds after affirmative action was banned \u2063by <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/California_Proposition_209,_Affirmative_Action_Initiative_(1996)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Proposition 209<\/a> from 1996.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Right after the \u200bJune court decision, UCLA explained in a <a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.ucla.edu\/releases\/how-ucla-has-responded-to-proposition-209\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statement<\/a>, \u201cHow UCLA has\u200d responded to Proposition 209\u201d: \u201cIn 2006, the UCLA Academic Senate\u200d approved a holistic\u2063 model for freshman admissions in which each application would be read and considered in its entirety rather than having sections reviewed by different people. Proponents of the new approach, \u2064which does\u200d not consider \u200drace and other factors that are prohibited by Proposition 209, believed the more individualized and qualitative assessment of each\u200c applicant\u2019s entire application would be \u200bthe fairest and most effective method of providing access to all underrepresented \u200bapplicants. \u200dThe strategy was \u2063already being employed by UC Berkeley. &#8230;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome measures were \u2062structured to strengthen equity and diversity on the campus itself, \u200damong\u200b them, the <a href=\"https:\/\/chancellor.ucla.edu\/messages\/the-impact-of-proposition-209-and-our-duty-to-our-students\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">creation of a vice chancellor<\/a> position to \u2063oversee equity, diversity and inclusion efforts, \u200dand new diversity officer\u2064 positions.\u200c UCLA also established a \u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/chancellor.ucla.edu\/messages\/how-we-are-rising-to-the-challenge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Black Bruin Resource Center<\/a> in the center \u2062of \u2064campus to offer programing \u200cand services to anyone interested in Black life; embarked upon \u200da five-year plan to hire faculty whose\u2062 work relates to \u2063Black experience;\u2062 and created a\u200c new\u200b position \u2064for a staff member to \u2063maximize \u2062philanthropic support for Black life, teaching and\u2062 research.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Basically, the school\u200d took the bureaucratic approach and just created \u200cmore <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/can-caltech-make-new-entrance-standards-work\/\" title=\"Can Caltech implement new entrance standards successfully?\">high-salary \u200dadministrative positions<\/a>, paid \u200dfor\u200c by the students\u2019 tuition and the taxpayers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>At least Caltech didn\u2019t\u200c go the\u200d way of the University of California in 2020, when it dumbed down its math requirement\u2014but this past June apparently reversed itself. EdSource <a href=\"https:\/\/edsource.org\/2023\/uc-committee-changes-admission-standard-for-data-science-causing-confusion-over-math-framework\/693892#:~:text=The%20UC%20faculty%20committee%20that%20oversees%20high%20school,substitute%20for%20Algebra%202%20as%20a%20course%20requirement.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a>, \u201cUC committee changes admission standard for data \u200cscience, causing confusion \u200cover math framework: Taking data science won&#8217;t replace Algebra II and \u200cqualify \u2064as advanced math.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Dumbed-Down High \u2062Schools<\/h2>\n<p>We need to \u2064look beyond Caltech\u2019s action to the real problem,\u200c at \u200bleast here in California. As I \u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/california-education-board-dumbs-down-math-instruction-5403696\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote<\/a> \u2062in July \u2064in The Epoch Times, \u2062\u201cCalifornia \u200bEducation Board Dumbs Down \u200bMath Instruction.\u201d \u2064How are kids supposed to meet\u2064 Caltech\u2019s\u2064 tough entrance requirements if \u2063they\u2019re not pushed to \u200dachieve in K-12 \u2064state schools? Are they supposed \u2064to take Khan \u2064Academy courses? Then why are they even going to school? Why are taxpayers now footing the bill for average spending of more<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>the thing: Caltech, a top scientific institute, will now accept an alternative method for high school students to meet its tough science and math entrance requirements. Starting from fall 2024, applicants can take Khan Academy courses. I remain doubtful, but let&#8217;s see how this plays out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1801,"featured_media":2031083,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2031082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2031082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1801"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2031082"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2031082\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2031083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2031082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2031082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2031082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}