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University of California President Richard Atkinson will be leaving office today, two years after catalyzing nationwide changes in standardized college entrance examinations.

As a result of Atkinson’s recommendations, in 2005, students across the country will begin taking a drastically revamped version of the SAT.

Like many in the academic community, President Atkinson had long been concerned about standardized tests. But after visiting competitive college preparatory schools and researching the SAT, he was particularly disturbed by the immense amount of time, energy and money that people spent preparing for the exam.

So he decided to take an action that many UC officials describe as one of the most important parts of his legacy.

In a February 2001 speech to the American Council on Education, Atkinson recommended that the University of California evaluate applicants in a more holistic way, using standardized tests in a limited manner to “illuminate the students total record.”

In his speech, he affirmed his support of standardized tests, but he said that they should test “specific subject areas rather than undefined notions of ‘aptitude’ or ‘intelligence’” – which he said the SAT did not do well.

The UC Board of admissions had discussed the concern over the effectiveness of standardized tests for many years, but Atkinson’s comments put SAT reform back on their immediate agenda.

In a 2002 report, the board confirmed Atkinson’s assertion that neither the current SAT or ACT exams were adequate.

The report recommended that standardized tests be used to measure students’ mastery of college preparatory classes in high school, and that they cover reading, writing and mathematics.

The board also found that while a student’s performance on the SAT II gives admissions officers a good idea about a student’s ability to succeed in college, SAT results have very little predictive ability.

In July, the UC regents gave provisional approval of a plan which would require UC applicants to take either the new SAT or the ACT and its optional 30-minute writing test, and two SAT II exams. The provisional period will last from 2005 to 2007.

While the College Board has updated their test before, Atkinson was clearly a force in the current drastic revision.

“The College Board is always reexamining the test ... But President Atkinson’s comments made us focus more quickly on making these changes,” said Sandra Riley, associate director for public relations at the College Board.

The verbal section of the new SAT will be significantly different from the one most college students remember.

Riley describes the new verbal portion – now called critical reading – as a reading assessment. Analogies will be replaced by an expanded critical reading section, and the test will include a 25-minute writing section. The math portion will be expanded to include questions on algebra II.

The college board has 1,375 colleges and universities across the nation, and many of them will be requiring the new SAT in 2005.

The University of Michigan and Yale University are among the institutions outside California who will be requiring either the new SAT or the new ACT in 2005.

Joel Seguine, a media relations spokesperson for the University of Michigan, recognized Atkinson’s indirect influence on the standardized tests their university system will use.

“In a general way Atkinson’s influence played a part because his influence on the College Board benefitted higher education and our process,” Seguine said.