Major gains in SAT scores reported
9/9/03 -- SAT math scores reached the highest level in 35 years and verbal scores matched the level last reached in 1987, the
College Board announced Aug. 26.
The average scores this year are 519 in math and 507 in the verbal section, each rising three points from last year. The rise in SAT scores is particularly noteworthy because more students took the test -- 1.4 million -- during the 2002-03 school year than ever before.
This year saw the largest increase in the number of SAT takers in more than 15 years. First-generation college-bound students represent 38 percent of students taking the SAT.
The proportion of minority students taking the SAT is at an all-time high of 37 percent, up one point from last year and six points from 10 years ago.
According to College Board President Gaston Caperton: "Higher SAT scores, a record number of test-takers, and more diversity add up to a brighter picture for American education. While we certainly need to make more progress, the fact remains that we are clearly headed in the right direction."
Male SAT takers raised their verbal scores five points this year to 512 and their math scores three points to reach 537. Females scored 503 on both math and verbal this year, representing gains of three points and one point, respectively.
During the past decade, females have increased their math score by 19 points and males by 13 points. The College Board attributes this increase to more test takers enrolling in advanced math and science courses, such as chemistry, physics, precalculus, and calculus.
The percentage of students taking precalculus, for example, has increased by 12 percentage points since 1993. First-generation college students who took calculus in high school had an average SAT verbal score of 526 and a math score of 570, 19 and 51 points above the national average, respectively.
Overall verbal scores have increased seven points since 1993. This year, however, the gap between male and female verbal scores expanded to nine points from last year's gap of five points.
A strong showing from Asian American SAT takers -- whose mean verbal scores were, for the first time, higher than the national mean -- helped the overall verbal scores, says the College Board.
Mexican American and African American test takers had gains of two and one point, respectively, from last year.
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| Reproduced with permission from the 2003 issue of School Board News. Copyright © 2003, National School Boards Association. Opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect positions of NSBA. This article may be printed out and photocopied for individual or educational use, provided this copyright notice appears on each copy. This article may not be otherwise transmitted or reproduced in print or electronic form without the consent of the Publisher. For more information, call (703) 838-6789. |