MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - The NAACP is rallying behind a South Florida teen who is stuck in academic limbo after her SAT scores were flagged for being too high.
Kamilah Campbell, her attorney and the NAACP are threatening to file civil rights lawsuits against the College Board, the organization in charge of the SAT, unless they validate her test scores or release evidence that she cheated.
The Dr. Michael Krop Senior High School senior said she initially took the SAT in March of 2017 without studying to see where she needed to improve and scored a 900.
However, after studying, she retook the test in October and scored a 1230. According to SAT statistics, about 5 percent of students who take the SAT improve that much.
“I studied and I dedicated and I sacrificed so many hours of my time to study for this test so I can get my goal,” Campbell said.
“In our household, you study, you earn the grade, you don’t take shortcuts,” her mother Shirley Campbell added.
Her results have since been flagged, preventing her from sending them to potential colleges.
“Personally, we have a lot of issues in our community,” Miami NAACP President Ruban Roberts said. “This should not be one.”
Campbell’s representatives said she is being punished instead of celebrated for her achievement.
“This test is arbitrary, not only in the questions but also whether they’re gonna accept the scores or not, and they’re not going to offer you an explanation,” said Campbell’s attorney, Benjamin Crump. “They’re gonna tell you, ‘You need to come back and prove it to us. You need to take the test again.”
Campbell said the scores have already impacted her application. She was hoping to apply to Florida State University, and her SAT scores for the application were due a few days ago.
“She is suffering a severe punishment, but she has been convicted of no crime,” Crump said.
Now, her lawyers are giving the College Board 14 days to act.
“They don’t accept the fact that she could have worked hard, studied hard, checked all the boxes, did everything right and was successful at her mission,” Crump said. “Now, if she was from a different community and a different neighborhood, will they be more likely to accept it then?”
The College Board did not comment on the specific reason why Campbell’s score is being questioned, only saying in part, “we place test scores under review when statistical analyses and other factors determine it is necessary …”
However, the NAACP continues to put pressure on the College Board.
“If she scored 300 points higher, she should be celebrated, not punished,” Roberts said.
For more information on the College Board’s score review process, click here.
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