Berkeley professor criticizes admissions after student math decline
Zvezdelina Stankova, a UC Berkeley mathematics professor, wrote an op-ed saying large portions of current students cannot handle college calculus and that she must teach middle-school algebra and fractions during office hours. She cites diagnostic exam data showing 71% of students were ready or nearly ready for calculus before 2020 versus 44% between 2021 and 2023, and reports that by 2022–23 more than one-third had severe math deficits with zero the most common score. Stankova attributes the decline to UC's removal of standardized testing and warns of two-tier classrooms and strained teaching resources.
A large share of Berkeley calculus students lack college-level math.
Context
The university made standardized testing optional in 2020 and later became test-blind through 2025. Other top colleges later reinstated tests while UC has no new policy before fall 2028. If readiness stays low, Berkeley may need sustained…
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