UC Berkeley professor reports decline in student math preparedness

Zvezdelina Stankova, a mathematics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has reported a significant decline in the mathematical preparedness of incoming students. Stankova noted that some students arrive at the university lacking fundamental skills typically mastered in middle school, such as fractions and basic algebra. In large calculus courses, she observed that approximately one-third of students disengaged early in the semester due to these severe academic gaps.

In response to these challenges, more than two-thirds of the mathematics faculty across all ten University of California campuses, including five Nobel laureates, have signed open letters urging the university system to restore the use of SAT and ACT scores in admissions. The faculty argue that the current test-blind policy, which was implemented following a decision by the Board of Regents to make testing optional, has removed a common academic benchmark. While many peer institutions like MIT, Stanford, and Harvard have reinstated standardized testing requirements, the UC system remains test-blind through 2025.