State's SAT scores increase

Wisconsin students who took the SAT college entrance exam in 2005 increased their already impressive scores, the Department of Public Instruction reported Wednesday (August 31, 2005).

The state's verbal score was 592, up five points from 2004. The math score was 599, up three points. Nationally the verbal score was 508, the same as the previous year, and the math score was 520, up two points.

When the Wisconsin scores are broken down by type of school, public school students outscored students from independent and religiously affiliated private schools on the SAT. On the verbal test, independent school students scored 574, religious school students scored 592, and public school students scored 597. The figures for the math test were 581 for independent, 595 for religious and 607 for public school students.

"Our students, overall, scored among the very best in the nation on the SAT,” State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster said, “an achievement that is a repeat from the ACT scores reported earlier this month.”

In figures released last month, Wisconsin's students maintained their composite score of 22.2 on the ACT college entrance exam and extended their streak of finishing first or second in the nation to 16 years. Sixty-nine percent of Wisconsin's 2005 graduates took the ACT, while just 6% took the SAT.

Burmaster said the number of minority students taking the SAT has been increasing in Wisconsin and that their scores "far exceed their national peers.” However, she noted that the achievement gap between majority and minority students continues.

“We must continue our efforts to close the achievement gap and ensure that all students are prepared for the world beyond high school, which includes postsecondary studies," she said.

DPI news release, with tables

Posted September 1, 2005