Little changes, state SAT scores stay below average

Little changed, state SAT scores stay below average
By BILL KACZOR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS By ALAN SCHER ZAGIER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 1:00 a.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 10:40 p.m.
TALLAHASSEE -
Florida's 2008 average SAT scores were only slightly better than last year's in math and writing but down in reading, according to results released Tuesday.
That meant the state continued to rank in the bottom third nationally on all three sections of the college entrance test.
Here is how Florida's test takers scored:
497 in math, up one point from a year ago but 18 points below the national average of 515.
481 in writing, up two points but 13 points below the national average of 494.
496 in reading, down one point and 6 points below the national average of 502.
These are the first SAT results released by the College Board since Eric J. Smith resigned as a senior vice president of the board to became Florida's education commissioner.
Smith said he was pleased more Florida students took the exam this year because that indicates a greater number are pursuing a college education.
"I'm particularly pleased with the increased participation of minority students who not only had record numbers of participants, but outperformed their national counterparts on the reading and math sections of the exam," Smith said.
Florida's black students bested national averages for their ethnic group by four points in reading and one point in math but lagged in writing by two points. For Latinos, Florida students did better than national averages for their ethnic group.
Among the 50 states overall, Florida was tied with Indiana and North Carolina for 38th place in reading, tied with South Carolina for 47th in math and tied with Indiana and New York for 44th in writing. Florida outscored the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on all three parts of the test.
SAT participation in the state was a record 98,578 overall. That is 1,212 more than last year.
While more minority students took the test, their participation rate was virtually unchanged. Both years 51 percent of test takers were white and the rest were minorities or students who declined to provide ethnic or racial identifications.
Nationally, it was the second year in a row that SAT scores remained at the lowest level in nearly a decade.
As in Florida, officials said the high number of test takers was largely responsible.
Florida students also did poorly on the ACT, another widely used entrance exam. Results released Aug. 13 showed Florida's composite score down 0.1 from last year to 19.8. That was 48th among the 50 states.
State rankings on both tests are skewed by the number of students who take the exams. Higher participation in many cases results in lower scores.