Reprinted from fairtest.org
SAT SCORE TREND REMAINS FLAT;TEST-FIXATED SCHOOL POLICIES HAVE NOT IMPROVED COLLEGE READINESS
EVEN AS MEASURED BY OTHER STANDARDIZED EXAMS
SAT results for the nation's high school seniors continue to stagnate according to data released today by the test's sponsor, the College Board. Overall SAT averages have dropped by 21 points since 2006 when the test was last revised. Score gaps between racial groups increased, often significantly over that period.
Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest), said, "Proponents of 'No Child Left Behind,' 'Race to the Top,' and similar state-level programs promised that a focus on testing would boost college readiness while narrowing gaps between ethnic groups. SAT score trends show a total failure, according to their own measures. Scores have declined since 2006 for every group except Asians. Doubling down on unsuccessful policies with more high-stakes K-12 testing, as Common Core exam proponents propose, is an exercise in futility, not meaningful school improvement. Nor will revising the SAT, as currently planned, address the nation's underlying educational issues."
Schaeffer continued, "At the same time, the number of schools dropping SAT and ACT admissions exam requirements has soared. This year at least 14 more colleges and universities including Wesleyan, Beloit, Temple and Montclair State have adopted test-optional policies for all or many applicants." A list of more than 840 such bachelor-degree granting institutions is posted at http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional and regularly updated.
Calculated by FairTest from: College Board, College-Bound Seniors 2014: Total Group Profile Report and College-Bound Seniors 2006: Total Group Profile Report
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