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SAT scores continue decline; 57 percent of incoming freshmen not ready for college
The annual SAT scores have been released to the public and show a continued decline in math and writing scores.
Even worse, as CBS’s Money Watch reports, more than half of incoming college freshmen are not ready for the academic challenges of college.
"We must dramatically increase the number of students in K-12 who are prepared for college and careers," College Board President David Coleman said in a statement. "Only by transforming the daily work that students do can we achieve excellence and equity."
In the data released by the College Board, a full 57 percent of graduating seniors aren't ready to transition to college coursework, based on SAT results.
The average student performed better on the math portion of the test, scoring 514 out of a possible 800. On the reading comprehension portion, the average student scored 496. Students fared worst on the writing portion of the test, averaging 488.
Technically, the 2013 results are identical to those released in 2012. However, the College Board said the numbers represent a measurable 20-point decline since 2006, when the writing portion of the SATs was first introduced.
“While some might see stagnant scores as no news, we at the College Board consider it a call to action," Coleman said.
Still, there were some positive changes in this year’s data. For example, the number of minority students taking part in the SATs has increased significantly over five years ago: 46 percent of all SAT takers in 2013 were minorities. And among those minorities, African-Americans and Hispanic test takers both saw improved test scores from 2006.
However, the 1498 average total score for all test takers fell short of the 1550 SAT College and Career benchmark, which says students who score at or above that level have a 65 percent chance of earning a B- average.
Interestingly, the College Board also compared the average SAT scores for students based on which degree tracks they were planning to pursue.
Those students planning to study the physical sciences rounded out the top, averaging a score of 1,673 on their SATs. The most popular degree tracks — education (1442), psychology (1484) and business management and marketing (1661) fell further down the scale, though not as far as students planning to study construction or hoping to pursue careers in parks and recreation.
According to the College Board, the students who fare best on their SATs have completed a core set of coursework in high school, have taken AP or honors courses, and fell into the top 10 percent among their classmates in overall GPA.
The College Board, which helps students prepare for the SAT and other college course tests, has recommended a number of changes to improve scores, including providing more rigorous coursework for students.
Shocking class of 2013 SAT information: those who met the SAT Benchmark,
84% completed a core curriculum.
Of those who did not meet the SAT
Benchmark, 69% completed a core
curriculum.
Of those who met the SAT Benchmark,
79% took AP/honors courses.
Of those who did not meet the SAT
Benchmark, 42% took AP/honors courses.
Academic Characteristic Met the SAT Benchmark Did Not Meet the SAT Benchmark
Students who didn’t pass benchmark:
Took High-Level Math (Calculus,
Precalculus, or Trigonometry)
and didn’t pass: 60%
Took the PSAT/NMSQT® and didn’t pass: 72%
Completed a Core Curriculum and didn’t pass: 69%
Took AP®/Honors Courses and didn’t pass: 42%
Ranked in Top 10 Percent of High
School Graduating Class
and didn’t pass: 17%
Of those who met the SAT Benchmark,
78% enrolled in a four-year institution.
Of those who did not meet the SAT
Benchmark, 46% enrolled in a four-year
institution.
Of those who met the SAT Benchmark,completed college within four
years.
Of those who did not meet the SAT
Benchmark, 27% completed college
within four years.
43%
Met the SAT Benchmark
57%
Did Not Meet the SAT Benchmark
While it is widely acknowledged that increasing college completion is critical to
sustaining our nation’s competitiveness and prosperity long into the future, gains will
only be possible if more students graduate from high school having acquired the skills
and knowledge that research demonstrates are critical to college and career readiness.
The College Board’s 2013 SAT Report on College & Career Readiness reveals that only
43 percent of SAT takers in the class of 2013 met the SAT College and Career Readiness
Benchmark. This percentage has remained virtually unchanged during the last five years,
underscoring the need to dramatically increase the number of students who graduate
from high school with the skills and knowledge that research demonstrates are critical to
college and career readiness.
The data are clear — college and career readiness matters. When students are prepared,they enter college, persist, and complete at much higher rates than those who are not prepared. Studies show that students who meet the SAT College and Career Readiness
Benchmark are more likely to enroll in a four-year college, more likely to earn a higher
first-year GPA (FYGPA), more likely to persist beyond the first year of college, and more
likely to complete their degree than their peers who did not meet the benchmark.
*Not passing the benchmark basically means you are not ready to attend college. Different colleges, obviously, have different benchmarks for admission.
On the back of this paper, answer the following questions in a one-page response: What do the statistics say about the education students are receiving in school? Do you feel the class of 2014 will follow this downward trend of not as many students passing the SAT benchmark? Don’t forget to annotate and highlight!