State students outperform nation on SAT

Wisconsin students outperformed students nationally on both the SAT and Advanced Placement tests, an achievement State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster called evidence of strong academic programming in Wisconsin schools.

On the SAT college admissions tests, 4,012 of Wisconsin’s 2006 public and private school graduates scored an average 82 points above students nationally. The critical reading score was 588 in Wisconsin, compared to 503 nationally. Mathematics was 600 points in Wisconsin and 518 for the nation. In writing, Wisconsin scored 577 compared to 497 for the nation.

Preliminary data on the Advanced Placement (AP) program showed Wisconsin’s participation increased 9.8 percent from 2005, with 2,085 more students taking the exams. In 2006, 23,306 students took 36,842 exams. The 2006 passing rate for Wisconsin students was 68.9 percent, an increase from last year and higher than this year’s national passing rate of 59.6 percent. Advanced Placement exams test students’ college-level subject knowledge, generally related to Advanced Placement course work taken during high school. Earning a grade of 3, 4, or 5 on an AP exam is consider passing and eligible for college credit at most colleges and universities.

“Strong student achievement for both of these national testing programs shows that our schools and teachers have developed rigorous programs, which students pursue with parental and educator support in preparation for postsecondary studies,” Burmaster said. “On the AP exams, more students took more exams and achieved better results, and although Wisconsin has a small number of students taking the SAT, their scores were among the highest in the nation.”

Wisconsin’s SAT-takers tend to be higher achieving and wealthier than the national cohort. In Wisconsin, 55 percent of students came from families with incomes of $50,000 or more compared to 25 percent nationally. Their scores were significantly higher than for students from low-income families. Wisconsin students had a mean grade point average of 3.69 compared to 3.33 nationally. Two-thirds of Wisconsin students report earning A’s compared to 39 percent nationally. Students of color represent 13.6 percent of SAT-takers in Wisconsin. Their SAT scores, while lower than that of white students, averaged 74 points higher than their national counterparts. On the AP exams, all student groups increased their participation.

“We must persist in our efforts to close the gap in achievement for economically disadvantaged students, students of color, and their peers,” Burmaster said. “We expect that our grants and other initiatives will further increase AP participation among underserved and underrepresented student populations.”

The SAT, administered by the College Board, is scored on a scale of 200 to 800. The report for 2006 graduates was the first group to take the new SAT exams that included a writing test. The College Board’s “Advanced Placement Report to the Nation” provides a more extensive analysis of AP results, and typically is released in early February.

Last updated on 9/25/2006