Is There a Level Playing Field Among SAT and ACT Test Takers?
Posted September 25, 2012
The College Board just released its annual report on the performance of the most recent class of high school students who graduated and now are enjoying their first years of college. The graduating class of 2012 nationally continued in a pattern of falling SAT scores, a trend manifested for some years. Since 2006, scores on the reading portion of the test have fallen from 503 to 496; on mathematics from 518 to 514; and writing from 497 to 488. The test is used heavily in the Northeastern and Western regions of the U.S.
A few weeks ago, the ACT annual report was released as well. This test is more commonly used among test takers in the Midwest and South. The ACT scores for our graduating seniors were steady this year with an average composite score of 21.1, while noting a slight drop in the English language section of the test.
Perhaps more importantly, the percentage of students deemed to be prepared for college as defined by the test designers and analysts remains very low. When judged by the appropriate standards, 43 percent of SAT test takers are considered ready, while 25 percent of ACT participants hit the relevant benchmarks across all the content areas of the test. The reports point to the importance of the high school curriculum in ensuring college readiness. A college preparatory program strongly is associated with better performance on these tests.
It’s at this point policymakers turn and glare at the schools, particularly the teachers, to lay blame for a descending pattern of college readiness. While schools have a role to play, our policy friends are missing the bigger point. If we stare at these test scores long enough eventually we realize we are simply looking in a mirror. The test scores reflect the full range of challenges we face in American society.
Participation in the tests has continued to climb with the SAT and ACT each counting more than 1.6 million students who take the tests annually. Many more students now are taking these exams than in past years. As we reach deeper into our population to embrace students who wish to obtain the benefits of a postsecondary education, we also are drawing more students who are less prepared for the educational aspirations they have set. It amazes me policymakers miss the obvious point. If our desire is to expand opportunity for education in America, we will necessarily open our doors to those who are emerging from our educational systems with some deficiencies. The policy question is, How do we enable more Americans to be successful in reaching laudable educational goals?
There are huge disparities among test takers based on standard racial/ethnic classifications. To be sure, these categories gradually are becoming less reliable. However, to the extent we can still use such broad classifications for analysis, we continue to find many at a significant disadvantage. This is not a new story, but policymakers love the one-size-fits-all solution as if each community can be served by the same approaches. Too often we oversimplify highly complex problems for the sake of our convenience. When we add socioeconomic status to the mix, the picture becomes even more troubling.
Scott Jaschik writing for the online publication, Inside Higher Ed, in an article entitled “SAT Scores Drop Again” (Sept. 25, 2012) notes the following based on the table below:
Average SAT Scores, by Race and Ethnicity, 2012
Group Reading Mathematics Writing
American Indian 482 489 462
Asian American 518 595 528
Black 428 428 417
Mexican American 448 465 443
Puerto Rican 452 452 442
Other Latino 447 461 442
White 527 536 515
The report issued by the College Board drew attention to the characteristics of students who tend to do well on the SAT, namely those who complete recommended college preparatory courses. There are distinct patterns, as noted in the above table, on average scores by race and ethnic group, and by family income (with wealthier students, on average, performing better).But as the College Board materials noted, there are also distinct patterns in which groups are most likely to have completed the recommended high school curriculum or other measures of advanced academic preparation:
80 percent of white students who took the SAT completed the core curriculum, as did 73 percent of Asian students, but only 69 percent of Latino and 65 percent of black students did.
84 percent of those who took the SAT from families with at least $200,000 in family income completed the core curriculum, but only 65 percent of those with family income under $20,000 did so.
In mathematics, where there is the largest gap between Asian Americans and other groups in SAT scores, 47 percent of Asian Americans who took the SAT reported taking Advanced Placement and/or honors mathematics, compared to 40 percent of white students, 31 percent of Latino students and 25 percent of black students.
There are many things we can and should do to improve our schools. At some point, however, we will need to understand that until we adequately address our underlying societal challenges, the well-intended effects of policy changes, resource allocations, teaching strategies and personnel decisions will run into the brick wall of reality. If we do not enable those who are the most challenged in our society to reach their educational ambitions, eventually we will all be at a disadvantage.
This piece was originally written for The Des Moines Register’s A Better Iowa, where President Mark Putnam served as a featured columnist.
About the Author
I'm the lucky individual who carries the title, 21st president of Central College in Pella, Iowa. Passionate about higher education and the issues facing it and the world today, I hope to invoke an engaging conversation with all who are ready to dig in, make a difference and build for the future. Share your thoughts. I'm listening and interested.