Texas College Rule Outdated
by Dr. Tony Magana
A change proposed in the automatic admission of a student in the top ten percent of any Texas high school to public universities by state Sen. Florence Shapiro (R-Plano) is creating controversy
In almost every state as the economy has declined the number of students who might normally have considered attending a private university has dropped while the number applying to instate public university has dramatically increased. The difference in tuition costs between the two can vary as much as $40,000 or more per year. Top rated public universities across the country are now becoming much selective and increasing their admissions standards in response to the increased quality of the applicant pool.
Texas Senate Bill 175 (SB 175) was sponsored by the well known education reform advocate Sen. Florence Shapiro (R-Plano) at the request of the University of Texas which would change a rule about automatic admission to a Texas public university. Currently public colleges and universities in Texas are required to admit applicants who graduate in the top ten percent of the their graduating classes. This rule appertains to both public and private schools of all sizes and from any place in Texas as long as the school is accredited, the student has taken a recommended curriculum, and achieved a minimum college entrance test score.
SB 175 would change the rule to allow universities to cap the percentage of those admitted by this measure to 50%. The reason for this is that the University of Texas at Austin has become so full of applicants by the top ten percent rule that no other criteria can be considered. Last year they filled up 85% of the freshman class by the top ten rule.
Many traditional minority advocacy groups such as the NAACP, LULAC, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund say the measure unfairly would limit automatic admissions that were designed to increase diversity at higher education institutions and enhance opportunities for minority and low-income students, particularly at UT-Austin and Texas A&M. It also would penalize students who finished high school before the recommended curriculum was required.
In many areas of the state there are poorer mostly minority high schools such as in the small Hispanic majority towns of South Texas or the African American communities in the Houston area. Typically even the best students there may not score as well on college entrance exams like the SAT or ACT as more affluent students from better suburban public or private schools. The ten percent rule guaranteed that at least the top students from poor minority high schools would get a chance to attend a tier 1 public university. (Texas has only two tier 1 schools, UT-Austin and Texas A&M, and one private tier 1, Rice University.
I am forever grateful for the opportunity to have attended Texas A&M University in the 70’s coming from South Texas. If you visit the campus today the diversity of students is much different than when I was there. Now the proportion of Hispanics nearly reflects their representation in the population. Even more important, those Aggie values and Aggie networking rewards have now more than ever been adopted by the Hispanic community who are no longer outsiders. I do not believe the new law will endanger this but rather may strengthen it.
At the same time we must be cognizant that not all high schools are the same. Even in areas like the Rio Grande Valley there are are starting to be International Baccalaureate programs. McAllen ISD graduated their first 23 students just last year from the Lamar Academy. There are likely many high schools like these were the top 25% or even 50% of the class may be more qualified to attend college then the top 10% from another school. This new measure will put pressure on school districts to develop more programs of excellence.
Its long been acknowledged that judging a student by their grades alone or college entrance exam alone without consideration of other factors is a poor predictor of future achievement. President Obama was a B student in high school. Some time ago I was involved on the selection committee of a scholarship for disadvantaged students at Texas A&M where I observed that usually good students will have a triad of good test scores, good grades and community activities. Experienced educators at the college level need to have the ability to assess this three components for admission just as they do at my other school, Harvard.
Those school districts who were relying on the ten percent rule to obscure their deficiencies should take this as a wake up call to make changes. Sen. Shapiro’s new law does a great public service in helping to expose this inequity and forcing a change. If Hispanics or African-Americans are not matriculating to the major Tier 1’s under the new rule the most likely cause will be an inadequate public school system rather than discrimination by these great universities.
I also agree with the Dallas Morning News that with the large size of the state of Texas we need more public Tier 1 spots but also must opine that I have a strong feeling that Texas A&M’s prominence must be protected. Having too many Tier 1 schools could diminish the greatness of UT and TAMU who serve to a great extent to define what being a Texan means.
The new rule has passed the Senate and now has been recommended for a vote by the Texas House after being passed by the House committee on Higher Education.
Thanks for reading Contempo Magazine blog which discusses issues for McAllen, the Rio Grande Valley, and America from a conservative Hispanic point of view. Tony Magaña grew up in McAllen Texas, attended Texas A&M University, served as an officer in Army Reserve, and holds a doctorate from Harvard University. The co-founder of Contempo Magazine has participated in Valley business for over 20 years. He is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and also writes for the American Daily Review. Follow him on twitter http://twitter.com/contempomagazin
