SAT Scores See Biggest Decline Since 1975

Wall Street Journal ^ | 30 August 2006 | ROBERT TOMSHO

[shrinkermd]

SAT Scores See Biggest Decline Since 1975

The high-school class of 2006 suffered the biggest drop in SAT scores in more than three decades -- a development that may raise more questions about the recently revamped exam than the students who took it.

The College Board, the New York nonprofit that gives the admissions test, says scores in critical reading -- formerly known as verbal -- fell by five points to 503, out of 800 possible points. Math scores slipped two points, to 518, also out of 800 points. The combined decrease of seven points is the biggest since 1975, when there was a 16-point drop. Overall, math scores had been rising in the past decade, while reading has been relatively flat; there have been occasional small declines in either or both scores.

The scores announced yesterday were the first to fully reflect the revised test introduced in March 2005. Along with a writing section that consists of an essay and multiple-choice questions, the new test added higher-level algebra and did away with analogy questions on the reading section. Requiring nearly four hours to complete, the test has a possible score of 2,400 points, up from 1,600 points with the old 2½-hour test.

Scores on the new writing tests averaged 497 points out of 800, with females averaging 502, 11 points higher than males.

[Calvin Locke]

You do know, Bill Shockley got in trouble for saying as much (and more).

[HitmanLV]

Yep - a lot of folks have an extraordinary amount emotionally invested in a number. Whether its SAT score, a GPA, an LSAT score, an entry-level salary, whatever.

A lot of people find it difficult to cope with the concept that the smartest people aren't the most successful in life: career, financial, relationships, many things.

[HitmanLV]

I didn't suggest the data wasn't reliable, I just said some conclusions could be more dubious than others, and offered some other conclusions.

It's reasonable to conclude from that graph, for example, that asians and whites spend more time, money, and resources to preparing for the exams rather than hispanics or blacks.

Every test just measures what is being tested. Any test with a consistent methodology can be prepped for. If a test has a notable bias, that's a good thing: train to handle the bias. If you can isolate it, that goes a long way towards cracking it.

It helps when you think of these things in 3-D, not 2-D. Or heaven forbid, 1-D.

[razorback-bert]

That what I thought too and doesn't some special elite colleges give disadvantage kids extra points?

[Victoria Delsoul]

That's true.

[Domestic Church]

What's even more telling is that the 1995 SAT Score chart only goes up to 1100. Why did they not include the full range? Perhaps a little problem with the bell curve?

[NoCurrentFreeperByThatName]

Every test just measures what is being tested. Any test with a consistent methodology can be prepped for. If a test has a notable bias, that's a good thing: train to handle the bias. If you can isolate it, that goes a long way towards cracking it.

Bump.

[HitmanLV]

Just the damn truth! And "I am not a number! I am a free man!" ;-)

[ops33]

You're absolutly correct. I took the SAT's in the late 60's, combined score somewhere around 700. Now I have two Master's Degrees. The SAT measures your ability to take tests, the ASVAB measures your ability to learn something.

[College Repub]

The SAT (on the 1600 scale) was recentered about 10 years ago. So anyone who familiarized themselves with the 1600 score in the last 10 years (before the move to the higher score) should add about 100 points to any score reported on that scale from before. So Bush would be 1306. 1500+ would be 1600, etc.

[ReagansShinyHair]

One would think that the bright parents [those with graduate degrees, especially the Asians with their cultural premium on learning] would get their progeny into 1450-1600 SAT range

Isn't intelligence mostly inherited from the woman's side? Maybe those doctors need to stop spawning with trophy wives and get themselves some smart women. For the good of the country.

[GSlob]

Well, I've read that the IQ [or rather Spearman's g] is about 70-80% heritable, but I do not remember reading anything re which side it is mostly inherited from. Hopefully in a few decades it will be found out - which genes, and when, and how.

[ReagansShinyHair]

Here's a link:
http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/men/thank_mom_for_brains.htm

I guess you never know when "researchers" will discover that they were mistaken, though.