Which of the following best explains why all white schools instituted entrance exams to permit
Black students to enter? (RI 8.1)
A. Despite the federal mandate, they wanted to keep schools segregated any way they could.
B. To ensure that only the highest--achieving white students were allowed to attend the
school.
C. To make sure as many Black students could attend the school as possible.
D. They were big supporters of school integration
A. Despite the federal mandate, they wanted to keep schools segregated any way they could.
The best explanation for why all white schools instituted entrance exams to permit Black students to enter is option A: Despite the federal mandate, they wanted to keep schools segregated any way they could.
To find the best explanation for why all white schools instituted entrance exams to permit black students to enter, we need to carefully examine the options provided.
Option A states that despite the federal mandate, white schools wanted to keep schools segregated any way they could. This explanation suggests that the entrance exams were used as a means to maintain segregation, even though it was mandated to desegregate.
Option B suggests that the purpose of the entrance exams was to ensure that only the highest-achieving white students were allowed to attend the school. This explanation implies that the exams were a way to maintain high academic standards and exclude black students.
Option C states that the entrance exams were implemented to make sure as many black students as possible could attend the school. This explanation suggests that the exams served as a means to increase black student enrollment rather than limit it.
Option D suggests that the white schools were big supporters of school integration, and the entrance exams were a way to facilitate that integration.
To determine the best explanation, we need to consider historical context and analyze the motives behind the implementation of entrance exams. While some white schools may have genuinely supported integration (option D), it is important to recognize that other institutions used various strategies to maintain segregation (options A and B). Option C, which posits that entrance exams were meant to increase black student enrollment, seems less likely given the historical context of racial discrimination in education.
Therefore, based on the options provided, the best explanation for why all white schools instituted entrance exams to permit black students to enter is likely option A: Despite the federal mandate, they wanted to keep schools segregated any way they could.
It's important to note that this is a hypothetical scenario, and historical context may vary in different situations. A more comprehensive analysis of historical records and context would be required to provide a definitive answer.