Wisconsin Student Score High on SAT: Advanced Placement Participation Increases
Wisconsin students again far outscored students nationally on the SAT
college entrance exams in 2000.
The state's average SAT math score went up 2 points from the previous
year to 597, making it the highest math score ever recorded by Wisconsin
SAT-takers. The state's verbal score held steady at 584, and both towered
above the national average scores: 505 for verbal and 514 for math.
Wisconsin students ranked third in the nation on the math portion of
the SAT; and fourth on the verbal portion. About 7% of Wisconsin students
take the SAT. In August, Wisconsin students ranked first in the nation on the ACT college
entrance exam for the eighth consecutive year. About 70% of Wisconsin
students take the ACT.
In other good news about Wisconsin students and schools, a new report
revealed that Wisconsin experienced 13% growth in participation in the
Advanced Placement (AP) program in one year and has expanded student participation
by 73% over the past five years. Wisconsin had 14,197 students take 21,697
AP examinations during the 1999-2000 school year, and 68.8 percent of
students earned passing grades. Advanced Placement courses go beyond typically
high school curriculum and usually provide college-level credit in high
school.
WEAC President Terry Craney said the latest reports provide continuing
proof that Wisconsin has great schools.
“Teachers and school staff, students, families and communities all
deserve credit for this remarkable success story,” Craney said. “These
figures, along with other statistics, tell a story of community involvement
and support for quality education throughout the state.”
Craney noted that Wisconsin public school students outscore students
in religious and independent private schools on the SAT.
“Critics of public education should take careful note of the difference
between public and private schools,” Craney said. “Their arguments
that private schools provide a better education fall apart when one looks
at this data.”
Posted September 1, 2000