Sociological Research at the College Entrance Examination Board

Abstract

THE HISTORY OF the College Entrance Examination Board is associated with a long tradition of psychometric research and development. In recent years, however, the College Board has become increasingly concerned with an array of research problems that bear upon the interests of several disciplines-particularly the sociology of education. The purpose of this note is to describe briefly the research interests and activities of the College Board. But, first, it may be helpful to say something of the organization and role of the Board so that these research concerns can be viewed in a broader educational context. The Board was founded as a non-profit association in 1900, but remained relatively small until the mid-1950's. During the past decade the College Board has witnessed a tenfold increase in the number of students it serves and in its member institutions, which now number some 640 colleges and universities, 230 secondary schools, and 46 educational associations. These member institutions represent, if not proportionally, all regions of the country and all forms of higher education. The primary purpose of the College Board is to facilitate the effective transition of students from secondary to higher education through the collective action of its membership and through its service programs. This period of transition must be broadly defined, since it begins as early as grade seven and encompasses a wide variety of social forces, procedures and problems. These include student aspirations, institutional goals, financial restraints, social mobility, manpower utilization, guidance and admissions procedures, education policy, and the massive process whereby students from 25,000 secondary schools are sorted into 2,500 institutions of higher learning. In this context research should lead not only to an improved understanding of these forces and problems but also to the development of effective national programs that will promote rational access to higher education in keeping with the aspirations and abilities of students and the standards and purposes of institutions. As more specific objectives, research should