SAT scores up slightly in reading and in math
TAMPA (AP) – As the number of students taking the SAT college entrance exam continues to rise, Florida’s high school graduates are making slight gains in the test’s math and reading sections, though there was a small decline in their writing scores, according to figures released Tuesday by the College Board.
The class of 2009 scored, on average, one point higher in the math and critical reading sections of the SAT, for totals of 498 and 497, respectively. Those numbers have fluctuated only slightly over the last 10 years, and remain considerably lower than the national averages of 515 in math and 501 in critical reading.
On writing, the class of 2009 scored an average of 480, one point lower than last year.
Nationally, the average SAT score dipped from 502 last year to 501 on the critical reading section of the test. Math scores held steady at 515, and writing fell from 494 to 493. Each section has a maximum score of 800.
Still, Florida officials touted the rising number of students taking the test – 100,179, up more than 1,000 students from last year – and the reading and math scores of black and Hispanic students, who again outpaced the national average.
“Florida’s students continue to respond to higher academic expectations by challenging themselves and making significant learning gains,” Gov. Charlie Crist said in a statement released Tuesday. “In this way, our schools and teachers are ensuring a strong learning environment for all Florida students.”
Nationwide, more than 1.5 million students from the class of 2009 took the SAT. Forty percent were minorities, a substantial increase from 10 years ago, when they comprised just 29.2 percent of test takers. The SAT is the most widely used college entrance exam and tries to measure basic college-readiness skills.
“We’re impressed that Florida’s overall scores went up, even as the number of students taking the test climbed as well,” said Alan Richard, a spokesman for the nonprofit Southern Regional Education Board. “You have the largest percentage gain of any of the Southeastern states in terms of the number of the students taking the test.”
The strongest gains in average combined scores in Florida were seen in Asian students, who rose from a 1556 to 1569. Puerto Rican students made a six-point jump, while Mexican students declined two. A third category used to identify all other Hispanic students saw an eight-point increase in their average combined score.
Black students’ combined average dropped one point, to 1282, while white student scores rose one point to 1551, for a difference of 269 points between the two groups. That’s two points more than the gap was in 2008.
Overall, black and Latino students posted higher total scores than the national averages for those groups.
Mirroring national trends, the gap between men’s and women’s scores on the test widened slightly. Women in Florida had a 1464 combined average in 2009, 23 points lower than men. In 2008, the gap was 21 points.
Likewise, the total score of students in Florida who reported a family income of more than $200,000 increased 10 points. Nationwide, this group of students averaged a 26 point jump. Those in the lowest income bracket – who said their family income was less than $20,000 – had a combined average of 1292 in Florida, 341 points lower than students in the highest income category. That’s slightly lower than the nationwide gap of 381 points.