SAT Scores Decline Overall in Indiana, Nationwide

Reed says new Core 40 requirement will prepare more students for SAT, success after high school

Indiana’s average score on the SAT college entrance exam declined in 2007 with a one point drop on the reading section (497), two point decrease on mathematics (507) and three points lower on the writing section (483) for a combined score of 1487. Nationally, the average reading score dropped one point (502) while math (515) and writing (494) each fell three points for a combined score of1511.

“The latest SAT scores are clearly disappointing, especially at a time when more Hoosier students are taking challenging high school courses and going on to college than ever before,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed said. “SAT scores may be trending downward nationwide but that does not make these results any less of a concern.”

Reed noted that the recent SAT results disrupt Indiana’s long-running trend of steady progress on the test for more than two decades. Despite a two-year decline, Indiana has gained 32 points since 1990 and narrowed the performance gap with the nation from 29 points to 13 points over that period.

Indiana’s SAT results mirror a nationwide trend with the vast majority of states experiencing score decreases for the past two years. The College Board – the organization that develops and administers the college entrance exam – has yet to issue an official explanation for the recent nationwide score decline. However, a special report by Newsweek magazine last year found that many counselors and admissions officers argue that the nationwide drop in test scores is due to changes in test content and student fatigue from an exam that is now 35 minutes longer than the previous version. Changes to the SAT include:

• Math – The new SAT eliminated quantitative comparisons and places an increased emphasis on Algebra II content.
• Reading – Previously called “Verbal,” the new Critical Reading section eliminated analogies and now includes additional paragraph-length reading passages.
• Writing – The new writing section includes a student written essay and a multiple choice grammar and usage section. 

Indiana’s average SAT scores have long trailed the national average, which can be primarily attributed to the fact that Indiana’s student participation rate on the SAT (62 percent) far exceeds the national rate (48 percent). SAT participation rates vary greatly from state-to-state – ranging from a high of 100 percent to a low of 3 percent – a disparity that makes comparisons between states invalid according to the College Board.  Indiana’s SAT performance is generally similar to those states that have comparable participation rates.

In contrast to Indiana’s SAT participation rate, about 21 percent of Hoosier students take the ACT. Indiana remains above the national average on that college entrance exam and the state’s ACT scores have trended upward over the past several years.

Importance of Preparation

As in previous years, Indiana seniors taking academic “core” courses scored higher on the SAT in 2007 than those taking “non-core” courses. Hoosier seniors taking “core” courses recorded SAT scores of 508 Critical Reading, 518 Math and 494 Writing. Conversely, SAT scores for Indiana seniors who took “non-core” classes scored 472, 482 and 459 respectively. The “core” curriculum outlined by SAT – four years or more of study in English and three years or more in mathematics, science and social science – corresponds very closely with Indiana’s Core 40 curriculum.

“The bottom line is that students who take challenging courses are far better prepared for the SAT and for success after school,” Reed said. “We firmly believe that all Indiana students need and deserve this preparation.”

The state's Core 40 curriculum became a graduation requirement for all incoming high school freshmen beginning this fall. To graduate with less than Core 40, the student, the student’s parent or guardian and the student’s counselor (or another staff member who assists students in course selection) must meet to discuss the student’s progress and review the student’s career and course plan. The legislation also made Core 40 a minimum college admission requirement for the state’s public four-year universities beginning in fall 2011. Additionally, students must complete the Core 40 track to be eligible for higher education awards and scholarships.

National studies have shown that completing a rigorous course of academic study in high school is the best preparation for college and workforce success. Since Core 40 was established in 1994, the number of Indiana students completing the curriculum has continued to increase. More than two-thirds of Indiana’s graduating students earned a Core 40 or Academic Honors Diploma in 2006.

More information on the 2007 SAT results is available online at www.doe.state.in.us/SAT or www.collegeboard.com. Visit www.doe.state.in.us/core40 to learn about the state’s new Core 40 diploma requirement.

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