2014 SAT Score Trend Remains Flat; Test-Fixated School Policies Have Not Improved College Readiness

for further information:

Bob Schaeffer (239) 395-6773
cell (239) 699-046

for immediate release Wednesday, October 7, 2014

SAT SCORE TREND REMAINS FLAT;
TEST-FIXATED SCHOOL POLICIES HAVE NOT IMPROVED COLLEGE READINESS
EVEN AS MEASURED BY OTHER STANDARDIZED EXAMS

SAT results for the nation’s high school seniors continue to stagnate according to data released today by the test’s sponsor, the College Board. Overall SAT averages have dropped by 21 points since 2006 when the test was last revised. Score gaps between racial groups increased, often significantly over that period.

Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest), said, “Proponents of ‘No Child Left Behind,’ ‘Race to the Top,’ and similar state-level programs promised that a focus on testing would boost college readiness while narrowing gaps between ethnic groups. SAT score trends show a total failure, according to their own measures. Scores have declined since 2006 for every group except Asians. Doubling down on unsuccessful policies with more high-stakes K-12 testing, as Common Core exam proponents propose, is an exercise in futility, not meaningful school improvement. Nor will revising the SAT, as currently planned, address the nation’s underlying educational issues.”

Schaeffer continued, “At the same time, the number of schools dropping SAT and ACT admissions exam requirements has soared. This year at least 14 more colleges and universities including Wesleyan, Beloit, Temple and Montclair State have adopted test-optional policies for all or many applicants.” A list of more than 840 such bachelor-degree granting institutions is posted athttp://www.fairtest.org/university/optional and regularly updated.

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2014 COLLEGE-BOUND SENIORS SAT SCORES — with score changes from 2006*

READING MATH WRITING TOTAL
ALL TEST-TAKERS 497 (- 6) 513 (- 5) 487 (- 10) 1497 (-21)
Female 495 (- 7) 499 (- 3) 492 (-10) 1486 (- 20)
Male 499 (- 6) 530 (- 6) 481 (- 10) 1510 (- 22)
Asian, Asian Amer. or Pacific Islander 523 (+13) 598 (+20) 530 (+18) 1656 (+51)
White 529 (+ 2) 534 ( – 2) 513 ( – 6) 1576 (- 6)
African American or Black 431 (- 3) 429 ( 0) 418 (- 10) 1278 (- 13)
Amer. Indian or Alaskan Native 483 (- 4) 484 (- 10) 461 (- 13) 1428 (- 27)
Mexican or Mexican American 450 ( – 4) 461 ( – 4) 443 (- 9) 1354 (- 17)
Puerto Rican 456 (- 3) 450 (- 6) 443 (- 5) 1349 (- 14)
Other Hispanic or Latino 451 (- 7) 459 (- 4) 443 ( – 7) 1353 (- 18)

* High school graduates in the class of 2006 were the first to take the SAT “Writing” Test. The “No Child Left Behind” mandate to test every child in grades 3-8 and at least once in high school went into effect in the 2005-2006 academic year.

2014 COLLEGE-BOUND SENIORS SAT SCORES BY FAMILY INCOME

READING MATH WRITING TOTAL
$ 0 – $20,000 436 459 429 1324
$20,000 – $40,000 467 481 455 1403
$40,000 – $60,000 489 500 474 1463
$60,000 – $80,000 504 512 487 1503
$80,000 – $100,000 516 526 501 1543
$100,000 – $120,000 527 539 513 1579
$120,000 – $140,000 531 542 518 1591
$140,000 – $160,000 539 552 527 1618
$160,000 – $200,000 544 558 534 1636
More than $200,000 569 588 565 1722

Calculated by FairTest from: College Board, College-Bound Seniors 2014: Total Group Profile Report and College-Bound Seniors 2006: Total Group Profile Report

NOTE- For a print formated copy of this release click here.

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