March 28, 2024
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Students struggle with SATs

AUGUSTA – Although scores indicate more than half the high school juniors who took the SAT tests last spring failed to fully meet state standards, education officials said they are pleased with the results.

This was the first year the SAT was used instead of the Maine Education Assessment test that had been given to 11th-graders in the past and Commissioner of Education Susan Gendron said she was encouraged by the numbers.

“We’re right on target,” Gendron said during a Cross Office Building press briefing on the SAT results held Thursday.

Gendron explained that the high number of students who either partially met or did not meet state standards was caused by a much larger testing pool than in past years. She said more than 4,000 additional high school juniors took the SAT than did last year.

As a result, about 53 percent partially met or did not meet the standard in mathematics, 64 percent either partially met or did not meet standards in reading and 58 percent partially met or did not meet standards in writing.

About 47 percent either exceeded or met the standard in math, 35 percent exceeded or met in reading and 42 exceeded or met in writing.

Approximately 15,300 students took SAT tests last April. Although the results from individual high schools differed widely, Gendron said that the overall scores showed progress was being made. She said she was surprised that the average scores were not lower given the expanded number of students who took the test.

She said the Department of Education deliberately changed from the MEA to the SAT as a way to motivate students who otherwise would never have considered college after graduation. The SAT was administered for the state by the College Board, a non-profit group of colleges and universities that oversees the tests.

“We are committed to our vision of graduating all students college- and career-ready,” Gendron said.

Those taking the SAT can score from a low of 200 points to a high of 800 points in each subject category. In order to exceed state standards students need a score of 620-800, to meet standards the score required is 460-610, to partially meet standards it’s 370-450 and to not meet standards it’s 200-360.

The average score for female students was 451 in reading, 437 in math and 454 in writing. For males it was 436 in reading, 450 in math and 417 in writing.

In the math test, on average 5 percent of 15,300 Maine high school students exceeded standards, 42 percent met the standard, 25 percent partially met the standard and 28 percent did not meet the standard.

In reading, on average 3 percent exceeded the standard, 32 percent met the standard, 38 percent partially met the standard and 27 percent did not meet the standard.

In writing, on average 0 percent exceeded the standard, 42 percent met the standard, 29 percent partially met and 29 percent did not meet the standard.

Gendron acknowledged that students from wealthier school districts tended to do better on the SAT. She added that the department planned to submit legislation aimed at requiring high schools to go through a certification process that will ensure that their curriculums are aligned with state standards. Having that in place could help lift students from less fortunate backgrounds to excel at a higher level, she said.

“There is not an equity of opportunity for all students,” she admitted. “Our scores are flat and we need to be pushing harder for all Maine students.”

As examples of the varying range of math scores across the region and state:

. In Cape Elizabeth, 20 percent exceeded standards, 67 percent met them, 10 percent partially met them and 2 percent did not.

. In Bangor, 12 percent exceeded, 50 percent met, 23 percent partially met and 16 percent did not.

. In Brewer, 3 percent exceeded, 39 percent met, 29 percent partially met and 29 percent did not.

. For John Bapst, 17 percent exceeded, 69 percent met, 13 percent partially met and 1 percent did not.

. In Hampden, 10 percent exceeded, 49 percent met, 24 percent partially met and 17 percent did not.

. In Lewiston, 1 percent exceeded, 33 percent met, 30 percent partially met and 36 percent did not.

. In Fort Fairfield, 5 percent exceeded, 45 percent met, 25 percent partially met and 25 percent did not.

. In Belfast, 3 percent exceeded, 28 percent met, 26 percent partially met and 43 percent did not.

The averages for those schools in reading and writing were within a few percentage points of their math scores.

Brian O’Reilly of the College Board said that the SAT was a better gauge of student performance and their ability to reason and solve problems than the MEA. He said the SAT placed more demands on the students and that they responded to the test differently. O’Reilly noted that while Maine ranked among the highest in high school graduates each year, it “was not that high” in the number of graduates going off to college.

Because of the college implications, O’Reilly said, parents and students take the SAT more seriously than they did the MEA.

“The significant reason is motivation,” he said. “Now they think of themselves as college material.”


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