Educator.com

The SAT scores are in, and the results are surprising! The class of 2009 did not do as well as expected. Not only did scores fall, but the score gap between white and minority groups versus Asian-American students widened. Professional educators are disappointed because there has been a twenty-five year effort to improve education in the United States.

So how much did the scores fall? Average reading scores dropped from 502 to 501. Average writing scores dropped to 493 from 494. Average math scores remained the same at 515. The combined scores are the lowest they have been in a decade. The reading scores are the lowest since 1994. Education officials agree that after twenty-five years of reform efforts, all of these scores should have increased.

Why does it matter so much? The SAT test scores range from 200 to 800. These scores matter because this is the most widely administered college entrance exam, and it is a measure of the achievement of the top high school students in the United States. There seems to be no better way to measure the results of twenty-five years of educational reform in public schools in the United States.

Hispanic and African-American students lagged behind the general average while Asian-American students showed dramatic gains. Why this huge gap? Students whose scores lag behind the national average tend to go to schools in poorer districts. These schools have fewer resources. It seems that in the United States, we still do not have equal opportunity of education.

Asian-American students seem to do better no matter what the income level. Some believe this is due to their families emphasizing success in education, plus Asian-American students tend to take more advanced placement courses.

It is expected that Congress will be taking a close look at President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind law. This law took effect in the year 2002, and mandates that by the year 2014 all students in public education must be proficient in reading and math on standardized state tests. Critics of this law note that gains on state tests are not retained in national exams such as the SAT. Educational researchers point out that it is unfair to relate national college entrance examination results with test results from early grades.

Prior to the SAT score release, it was disclosed that only 25% of the class of 2009 taking the other main college entrance exam, the ACT, possess skills for college success. With both major college entrance examination results now published, it is clear that the education agenda of President Obama, which puts readiness for college in the forefront, is facing huge challenges.

Is there any good news to be found in these test results? Some point out that a record number of students took the exams, with a huge increase in the percentage of minority students sitting for the exams. The fact that the reading and writing scores dropped only one point each, and math stayed the same, is actually a sign of stability and should be seen as encouragement.

What conclusions can be drawn from these results? If the No Child Left Behind law is not positively affecting the performance of high school students on standardized tests, is the law then working? Or do these results suggest that we need a No High School Child Left Behind Act passed?