Hawaii’s SAT scores
are down slightlyMarks were near the U.S. average
in math but lower in verbal
The SAT scores of Hawaii's college-bound students dropped slightly this year, placing far below the national average on the verbal test but staying close to it in math, according to results released today.
CORRECTION
Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2003>> The College Board does provide national data for SAT scores broken down by public vs. private schools. A story yesterday said it does not. The national average scores for 2003 are: Public schools: 504 verbal, 516 math. Independent schools: 550 verbal, 573 math. Religious schools: 535 verbal, 530 math. The complete report is available at www.collegeboard.com.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at fbridgewater@starbulletin.com.Hawaii's public and private school students scored 486 in verbal and 516 in math this year out of a possible total of 800 each, compared with the national average of 507 in verbal and 519 in math, the College Board announced.
Nationally, this year's graduating class gained three points on each test over last year's class, while Hawaii students fell two points in verbal and four points in math.
"While this year's results are discouraging, the multiyear trend still demonstrates improvement," said state Schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto. "Future years will tell us if scores are rising and if 2003 was just an off year."
Over the last five years, Hawaii students as a whole have gained three points in verbal and three points in math, while the national SAT figures climbed two points in verbal and seven points in math. Over the past decade, Hawaii's scores have gone up nine points in verbal and 14 points in math, while the national numbers rose seven points in verbal and 16 points in math.
Hawaii's private school students scored far above their public school counterparts, with the biggest gap a 108-point spread in math scores posted by independent private schools and the public schools. The scores of religious school students fell between the public and independent schools.
Here is a breakdown of Hawaii's 2003 SAT scores by type of school:
>> Public school students' verbal scores held steady over last year, at 462, while math slipped to 489 from 493.The national SAT figures provided by the College Board do not break down the results by public vs. private schools. Most private schools select their students on the basis of academic performance, while public schools take everyone. The College Board noted that demographics and other nonschool factors can have a strong effect on scores.>> Students in independent private schools scored an average of 597 in math and 548 in verbal, a drop of two points in each score over last year.
>> Religious schools averaged 547 in math this year, an eight-point drop from last year's 555, and 522 in verbal, down from 525 last year.
Altogether, 7,438 graduating seniors in Hawaii, or 54 percent of the Class of 2003, took the SAT, compared with 48 percent nationally. Participation rates in different states ranged from 4 percent to 85 percent, and test officials warn that state-to-state comparisons of scores are not valid.
Nationally and in Hawaii, males outscored females on both the verbal and the math, with the largest difference in math. The average math score for boys in Hawaii in 2003 was 529, compared with 505 for girls; in verbal it was 488 for boys and 485 for girls.
Of students tested in Hawaii, 66 percent were in public school, 19 percent in independent schools and 16 percent in religious schools. (Figures total more than 100 percent due to rounding.)
In scores released last week for the ACT Assessment, another college-entrance exam, Hawaii students exceeded the national average in all four subjects tested: math, science, English and reading. Just 16 percent of Hawaii's graduates, however, took that test.
ACT is a curriculum-based achievement test, while the SAT measures reasoning skills. ACT Inc. releases only statewide scores and does not break them down into public vs. private schools.
