The University of California’s Standardized Testing Task Force is recommending the higher education system continue to require the test scores for admission to the schools. This report comes after some said the standardized tests were discriminatory.

On this episode of Inside the Issues, we talk about the debate over standardized tests and what led to the system, looking into whether or not the scores should be eliminated from the admissions requirements.

RELATED | Test Prep Center Weighs in on Standardized Testing Debate

At the turn of the 20^th century, college presidents from 12 universities started the College Entrance Examination Board. Known simply as the College Board, they created a standardized test known as the College Boards.

That test was first administered back in 1901 and consisted of essay questions on things like Greek, Latin, and physics and took five days to complete. Then came the development of the SAT, which unlike the College Boards, was designed to test a student’s ability to learn, rather than gauge what they already knew.

Teresa Wantanabe, who covers higher education for the Los Angeles Times, talks about the local impact of these tests and the role the UC system plays in setting the standard for the rest of the country.

Lisa Holder, of the Equal Justice Society, a group dedicated to changing the nation’s consciousness on race through law, social science, and the arts, talks about a current lawsuit against the University of California and why they made the decision to challenge the testing requirement and why they are asking that the tests be eliminated.

Gretchen Guffy, Senior Director of State and Federal Policy for ACT, talks about the benefits of the exam and responds to people who say the testing is discriminatory.

Our reporter, Ariel Wesler, visits Ace It!, a test prep and tutoring center, and talks to owner Tam Ly, who scored in the 99 percentile on his SATs, about how he helps students prep for the tests. Wesler also compares how well California students do on these tests compared to the rest of the country.

Jayson Weingarten, former Admissions Officer for Pennsylvania University and Senior College Admissions Consultant at Ivy Coach, Ashley Nguyen, Associate Director of Admission for Pepperdine University and Robin Hamilton, Associate Dean of Admission at Occidental College, walk through the admissions process and how much testing plays a role in getting into the college of your choice.

Let Inside the Issues know your thoughts and watch Monday through Friday at 8 and 11 p.m. on Spectrum News 1.