SAT reading scores hit a four-decade low - The Washington Post: SAT reading scores for graduating high school seniors this year reached a four-decade low as the number and diversity of students taking the college admissions tests hit an all-time high, the College Board reported Monday.
The average reading score for the Class of 2012 was 496, down one point from the previous year and 34 points since 1972.
“Our nation’s future depends on the strength of our education system,” said College Board President Gaston Caperton in a statement. “This report should serve as a call to action to expand access to rigor for more students.”
In writing, the average score was 488, down nine points since that subject was first tested in 2006. The average math score, meanwhile, was 514 — the same as last year and up five points since 1972.
Each of the SAT’s three subjects is worth a maximum of 800 points. Students who score at least 1550 out of a possible 2400 points on the test are more likely to attend a four-year college and earn at least a B-minus grade point average in their first year, according to the College Board.
Nationally, less than half the Class of 2012 met that benchmark score.
