An uptick in SAT math scores
The graduating class of 2005 notched the highest scores ever recorded on the mathematics portion of the SAT, while verbal scores held steady, according to test results released today. The national average for the 1.48 million high school seniors who took the test was 1028 out of a possible 1600.
The class of 2005 recorded an average score of 520 on the math section out of a possible 800, two points higher than the class of 2004. The average score on the verbal section remained unchanged from last year at 508.
"The results are encouraging, but the verbal scores show that we still need to have a more rigorous reading and writing curriculum to improve student literacy," said Gaston Caperton, president of the nonprofit College Board, which administers the exam.
The number of students taking English composition courses has declined in the past decade from 73 percent in 1995 to 62 percent of last year's graduating class, according to surveys of collegebound seniors who took the SAT. Meanwhile, students are taking more advanced math courses. Forty-eight percent took pre-calculus last year, up from 37 percent in 1995.
Last spring saw the debut of the newly revamped SAT, which includes a much-discussed writing section. But representative average scores on the new SAT—with a maximum point total of 2400—will not be available until next summer for the class of 2006. Preliminary scores from the first test groups show an average score of 516 on the new writing section, 519 on critical reading (the rechristened verbal section sans analogies), and 537 on math. College Board officials cautioned that these scores are likely higher than the full class average for 2006, because students who take the test in the junior year are typically more motivated and score higher than their peers.
While average scores for the class of 2005 improved for all ethnic groups, there remain significant performance gaps. White students, for example, averaged a score of 1068, a 22 point increase since 1995. African-American students averaged more than 200 points lower at 864, a 10 point increase in the past decade.
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