For immediate releasecontact Gene J. Evans, (503) 947-5737 August 26, 2008 Oregon's SAT Scores Continue to Exceed National Average SALEM – State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo today released Oregon’s scores on the SAT college entrance exam. Oregon students continued to exceed the national average in mathematics, reading and writing: • Oregon’s critical reading score of 523 was one point higher than last year (national average was 502) • Oregon’s math score of 527 was one point higher than last year (national average was 515) • Oregon’s writing score was of 502 was the same as last year (national average was 494) Castillo pointed out that Oregon’s SAT results again emphasize the value of a “core curriculum” which includes four years of English, and three years each of mathematics, science, and social sciences. SAT test-takers who pursued a challenging course of study in high school outscored those students who did not by nearly 40 points on each portion of the test – critical reading, mathematics, and writing. “Oregon’s new graduation requirements ensure that our state will better prepare all students for success after high school,” Castillo said. “Beginning with the class of 2010, all graduates will be required to take a core curriculum in English, math, science and social sciences. The SAT shows us that mastering a core curriculum means that students will be better prepared for college and the workforce. I believe the state will see an increase in SAT scores for all students in future years because of our new diploma requirements.” Minority students did not perform as well as their counterparts on the 2008 SAT: • State Average (Critical Reading 523) (Mathematics 527) (Writing 502) • African American (Critical Reading 452) (Mathematics 438) (Writing 436) • Hispanic (Critical Reading 464) (Mathematics 468) (Writing 446) • Native American (Critical Reading 506) (Mathematics 497) (Writing 471) “I am concerned about the low numbers of minority students taking the SAT,” Castillo said. “Those minority students who do take the SAT score below Oregon’s average on all three areas of the test. We know that these students need more instructional time and more classroom support in order to be successful, and I'm asking school districts to find ways to provide teachers with the support, tools and strategies they need to help minority students get the results we all want.” In Oregon, 18,377 students took the SAT test in 2008, representing 53% of the state’s 2008 graduates. SAT scores for individual schools are reported as part of the school report cards, released by the Oregon Department of Education on October 7th.
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