Missouri high school student performances on the SAT college entrance exam are down slightly this year, according to a report released today by the not-for-profit group The College Board.
Missouri’s average scores for critical reading and math this year are at 584 and 587 respectively – both were at 592 last year. Missouri’s writing score also dropped slightly, from 573 last year to 564 this year. A perfect SAT score is 2,400. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) spokeswoman Sarah Potter says SAT performance does not accurately reflect the college readiness of Missouri’s high school students.
“You’re not testing the same students from year-to-year and seeing how they’re doing, it’s a whole different group," Potter said. "There (are) actually less taking it this year.”
Potter says most high school students in Missouri take the ACT college entrance exam.
“It’s kind of like the standard test," Potter said. "We know just like only three percent of students in Missouri take (the) SAT, whereas a much-higher number take the ACT now.”
Potter says despite the slight drop, Missouri’s SAT scores are still above the national average. She also says the number of Missouri high school students taking Advanced Placement courses has jumped 12 percent over the past year.
The ACT historically is more popular in the central states, with the SAT more popular on the East and West coasts. The Missouri students taking the SAT tend to be more prepared, with many of them considering admission to out-of-state schools.
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