2009 SAT: One-Third of Hawaii’s Public School Seniors Took College Bound Test

Hawaii’s Students College Board SAT Scores Lower Overall Since 2005

BY LAURA BROWN — Student College Board SAT scores released on Monday show a decline of public school student scores since 2005 in mathematics, reading and writing over the past 5 years in Hawaii and nationally, although overall scores are up slightly this year over 2009 scores.

Hawaii’s public school student scores are lower than Hawaii’s combined public and private scores and lower than national scores.

A perfect score is 800 in each subject.

2010                                        Math             Reading           Writing
Public & Private                     505                   483                   470
Public                                       479                    460                   442
National Combined              516                    501                   492

College Board SAT scores reflect only the performance of college bound students in a state that take the test. In Hawaii, 8,068 students took the test, of which 4,773 were public school students. And about three-fourths of public school test-takers were seniors with juniors making up the remaining one-fourth.

Hawaii’s public school 12th grade enrollment in 2009 was 9,400, which means that only about one-third of all public school seniors took the SAT.

Hawaii’s private school 12th grade enrollment was 3,677 of which 2,745 took the test. Also, 590 home schooled students participated in testing.

The gap between Asian, Asian American or Pacific Islanders and White students remains stark:

2010                                         Reading          Math          Writing
Asian/Pacific Islander             476               507                465
White                                             531               523                 509

Scores have declined in reading and slightly risen in math since 1972.

Reading                                           Math
Male        Female                           Male           Female
1972        531            529                                527                489
2010       503            498                               534                 500

The majority of students taking the SAT average “A” or “B” grades, are in the top half of their class, speak English as a first language and come from families earning less than $100,000 per year. Almost all parents of students taking the test report at least having a high school diploma.

Complete College Board SAT results are posted at: http://www.collegeboard.com.