College Testing Groups Release 2003 Scores
SAT math scores hit 35-year high, but college-readiness benchmark still low for Black students
WASHINGTON
Officials from the nation's two largest college admissions testing organizations had positive news to report last month about the high school class of 2003, but seemed to differ on how to interpret that news in relation to math proficiency.
The high school class of 2003 earned an average composite score of 20.8 on the ACT college entrance exam, matching last year's total, but the test-maker warned that more than half of this year's students may not be ready for college-level coursework in either math or science.
At the same time, the College Board, which administers the SAT, reported significant gains in both SAT math and verbal average scores, noting that this year marks the highest level for math scores in more than 35 years. This year's test-takers earned average scores of 519 for math and 507 for verbal, both representing three-point increases from last year.
Both organizations reported a record-breaking number of students taking the tests. Nearly 1.2 million high-schoolers took the ACT, the nation's second-largest admissions test, a record number, up from about 1.1 million last year. As well, 1.4 million students took the SAT, more than ever before.
Richard Ferguson, ACT's chief executive officer was encouraged that overall scores remained steady even as the number of test-takers grew by more than 5 percent.
"We might expect the average score to decline, since we are likely adding students from a wider range of academic achievement," Ferguson said in a statement. "Instead, we have seen remarkable stability in the average ACT score."
College Board President Gaston Caperton expressed similar sentiments.
"Higher SAT scores, a record number of test-takers, and more diversity add up to a brighter picture for American education. While we certainly need to make more progress, the fact remains that we are clearly headed in the right direction," Caperton said in a statement.
