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From the Department of Public Instruction
Wisconsin’s 2008 graduates posted an average score of 604 points in mathematics on the
SAT college admissions test, an increase of six points from last year and 89 points above the national
mean score of 515. Along with solid SAT results, preliminary data on the College Board’s Advanced
Placement program showed continued growth of the program in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin had 3,522 public and private school graduates who took the SAT during high school. They represent about 5% of the state’s graduates. Their critical reading score averaged 587, the same as last year; mathematics was 604, up six points from last year; and writing was 577, up two points. Nationally, 1.5 million graduates, about 45% of all graduates, took the SAT. The national overall mean scores were the same as in 2007: critical reading, 502; mathematics, 515; and writing, 494. On the ACT college admissions tests, more popular in Midwestern states, 67% of Wisconsin’s 2008 graduates took the exams. Their scores also were well above national averages.
“Our 2008 graduates did a fine job on the SAT college admissions exams,” said State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster. “They were well prepared, with 91% taking a core curriculum compared to 79% nationally. That college preparatory coursework, which includes four years of English and three years each of mathematics, science, and social studies, showed in their achievement on this national test.”
Preliminary data on the Advanced Placement (AP) program showed more students are taking AP exams in Wisconsin. Student participation increased 6.3% from last year. In 2008, 26,593 public and private school graduates took 42,450 exams. The statewide passing rate was 67.2%. Nationally the passing rate was 57.8% with 1.6 million students taking 2.7 million exams.
“Advanced Placement participation has been growing steadily in Wisconsin, up more than 30% over five years,” Burmaster noted. “Wisconsin recently was part of a pilot to increase the number of AP courses available; train teachers, counselors, and administrators to offer and support AP courses; and increase the number of students enrolled in AP, especially those from traditionally under-represented groups. Additionally, we partnered with Cooperative Educational Service Agency 9 to open the Wisconsin Web Academy, which will increase access statewide to a variety of coursework, including Advanced Placement classes.”
Students in Wisconsin who took the SAT tend to be higher achieving and from higher income families than the national cohort. In Wisconsin, 66% of SAT-takers report that they are A-students, compared to 37% nationally. About 19% of Wisconsin’s SAT participants report family income above $120,000, compared to 12% nationally. The achievement gap is quite large between the lowest income students, those from families earning less than $20,000 per year, and the highest income students, whose family income exceeds $200,000 annually. Among higher-income students who took the SAT in Wisconsin, scores range from 93 to 99 points more than lower-income students. Nationally, the range is 114 to 122 points. Students of color represent 16.6% of the state’s SAT takers. Their SAT scores, while lower than for white students, averaged from 21 points to 101 points higher than their peers nationally.
The College Board administers both the SAT and Advanced Placement testing programs. The SAT is scored on a scale of 200 to 800 and is administered at various times throughout the year. AP exams test student’s college-level subject knowledge. The exams are administered in spring and generally relate to AP coursework taken during high school. Earning a grade of three, four, or five on an AP exam is considered passing and eligible for course credit at most colleges and universities. The College Board’s “Advanced Placement Report to the Nation,” typically released in February, provides a more extensive analysis of AP results.
Complete DPI news release with more charts
Posted August 27, 2008