Posted on 09/24/2019 2:43:09 AM PDT by karpov
Average scores dropped on the SAT this past test-taking cycle, with a greater percentage of high-school students not ready for college-level work, according to results released on Tuesday by the College Board.
A record 2.2 million 2019 graduates took the college entrance exam, up from 2018’s record of 2.1 million. The increase is partly attributed to more districts offering students the option to take the test during the school day, often at no cost.
The College Board said the lower scores were partly due to the rise in students taking the exam during the school day. These students are more likely to be minority, attend high-poverty public schools and have parents without college degrees. The groups are typically underrepresented on college campuses and might never have taken the test before, said the College Board.
“Those fluctuations we expect to see because our population is changing so much,” said Cyndie Schmeiser, senior adviser to the College Board chief executive.
Since the SAT is now measuring the college readiness of students who previously wouldn’t have taken the test, it is understandable that overall performance has fallen slightly, she said.
College Board officials said the increase in students taking the exam is a good indication that more are considering college as part of their future. The percentage taking it during the school day grew to 43% from 36%.
Overall, the combined mean SAT score is down to 1059, from 1068, out of a possible 1600 point scale for the two sections on the exam—math and reading, writing and language. The percentage of students meeting benchmarks to indicate readiness for introductory college-level coursework slipped to 45% from 47%.
Those not meeting any of the benchmarks increased to 30% from 27%.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Who cares about SAT scores. If you don’t make the grade, just have your mom pay to get you on the college rowing team. If she gets caught, she’ll probably only have to pick up trash on the freeway for a couple of weeks.
This is solely the SAT’s fault. If it just ax’ed (sic) more climate change and gender questions, the kids would have higher scores.
Lol... I think of that often when I look at congress.
Too many here make too big a deal about SAT scores.
An SAT score is not destiny. It's just one test. The only reason to take it is to try for a scholarship.
If you don't score high enough for a scholarship, you can still do well in college.
This 9-point drop means nothing:
the combined mean SAT score is down to 1059, from 1068, out of a possible 1600 point scale for the two sections on the exam
Actually, the average score is supposed to be 1000 (500 per section). So, a 1059 or 1068 are both average scores.
When the SAT was revised in 2016, the math scores were trending too high because students found ways to trick out the test. Now the average is closer to what it's supposed to be.
A 1600 would be the highest score possible (800 per section). That's full-scholarship and/or Ivy League territory.
The article says students were given the option to take the test for free during the school day. So, they might not have even prepared for the test.
But those scores don't mean the students aren't college-ready. Lots of smart students score average on the test, and then they do well in college.
The answer is in the article.
“Those fluctuations we expect to see because our population is changing so much,” said Cyndie Schmeiser, senior adviser to the College Board chief executive.”
“with a greater percentage of high-school students not ready for college-level work”
Don’t think for a minute that Colleges are going to let the Tuition gravy trains end. They will dumb down the curriculum. Maybe not the Stanford’s of the world, but the other 98% of Colleges no question.
Offering free tests is just a way to hook more kids into paying for all the online test prep materials.Lots of money in test prep.
I do not remember the numerical scores, but I do recall getting 99th and 98th percentiles in math and English, respectively. I did not study for the SAT; it should test what one has actually learned, not what one can cram right before a test. I also was never offered scholarships for undergrad and did not go to college right away, since I could not afford it.
I also recall that the scores have been revised at least once since the 1970s when I took it; the test was dumbed down to reflect, I presume, declining academic standards.
Yep - I was a bit rebellious during my last 2 years of HS and didn’t make an honest effort at the SAT....ended up carrying a 4.0 GPA through college.
I wonder what percentage of high school “graduates” in major cities can even read their diplomas. I’d put it at no more than a third (that would be 33% for all you recent graduates of the LA County Unified School District).
Ooops...forgot to mention: Liz Warren (known as Princess Liawatha here in Massachusetts) was paid $350,000 a year to teach one class at Harvard.
Scores are getting worse, even after the tests have been dumbed down. Pitiful.
Cramming for the current SAT wouldn’t help, either.
The test was revised repeatedly through the years - even before the 1970’s.
Lots of people claim it was “dumbed down,” but without comparing a full sample of an older version, who really knows?
Obviously, not enough Earth-killing climate change questions on the test.
Congrats! Yep - one test does not determine one's fate.
At least once, the test was revised because scores were falling. The purpose of the revision was to bring the scores back up. Therefore, the test was dumbed down, in that case.
True - lots of money is made in test prep.
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