The Shmuel Neaman Institute and Edmond de Rothschild Foundation are conducting a joint research project to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative screening and admission routes to universities.
The higher education system, in general, and the universities, in particular, believe in the training of human capital in the State of Israel, which should enable its economic and social progress and prosperity. This system is therefore obliged to guarantee the quality of its graduates but, at the same time, also allow the social leadership necessary to ensure the social resilience of the country. From a practical point of view, this means enabling access to academic education for all populations and genders, without compromising on quality. This combination is currently a special challenge for universities, both in Israel and in the wider world, regarding their policies at the entrance gate to the higher education system.
The assumption that should guide the screening and admission policy at the entrance gate is that the distribution of the potential of the candidates from all strata of the population is similar. Therefore, the challenge is to formulate screening tools that will ensure the quality of those admitted (i.e., the chances of success in academic studies and the development of a successful career afterward) but, at the same time, will not cause candidates with high potential to be missed.
The screening tools currently accepted in Israel are based on a combination of matriculation scores and a psychometric test, and it is generally accepted that they give a good prediction of success. At the same time, in recent years, doubts have been growing as to whether these will be the exclusive tools.
In this evaluation study, we will examine the usefulness and effectiveness of alternative screening and admission routes characteristics, according to criteria such as dropout rates and success during and after studies.
