Differences among states’ average SAT scores are almost entirely attributable to differences in percentage of test takers, parent education and income of the test takers, and the high school rank and GPA of the test takers rather than to the quality of states’ education systems. This article includes statistical support, graphic comparisons, and recommendations concerning the reporting and interpretation of SAT scores in judging quality education.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Adelman, C.1999-2000. The SAT trap: Why do we make so much of one 3-hour test?American Educator23 (4): 38-41.
2.
Behrendt, A., J. Eisenach, and W. R. Johnson. 1986. Selectivity bias and the determinants of SAT scores. Economics of Education Review5: 363-371.
3.
Bennett, W. J.1994. The index of leading cultural indicators. New York: Touchstone.
4.
Berliner, D. C., and B. J. Biddle. 1995. The manufactured crisis. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley.
5.
Brown, H. E., and R. L. Burkhardt. 1999. Predicting student success: The relative impact of ethnicity, income, and parental education. Paper presented at the annual forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Seattle, Wash. June. ERIC, ED 433793.
6.
College Board. 2000a. The SAT I: Reasoning test. Available: http://www.collegeboard.org.
7.
College Board. 2000b. 2000 college-bound seniors profile reports by state. Available: http://www.collegeboard.org.
8.
Dynarski, M., and P. Gleason. 1993. Using scholastic aptitude test scores as indicators of state educational performance. Economics of Education Review12: 203-211.
9.
Garber, M. P., J. A. Heet, and W. Styring. 2000. Indiana education: On shaky ground. Indianapolis, Ind.: Hudson Institute.
10.
Graham, A. E., and T. A. Husted. 1993. Understanding state variations in SAT scores. Economics of Education Review12: 197-202.
11.
Grissmer, D. W.2000. The continuing use and misuse of SAT scores. Psychology, Public Policy, and the Law6: 223-232.
12.
Grissmer, D., A. Flanagan, J. Kawata, and S. Williamson. 2000. Improving student achievement: What state NAEP test scores tell us. Arlington, Va.: RAND.
13.
Hanushek, E. A.1986. The economics of schooling. Journal of Economic Literature24: 1141-1177.
14.
Horn, L., and L. Bobbitt. 2000. Mapping the road to college: First-generation students’ math track, planning strategies, and context of support. Washington, D.C.: National Center for Educational Statistics. ERIC, ED 438178.
15.
Knelly, K., and C. Roberts. 2000, September 3. South Carolina students score poorly on SATs. The State, 3 September.
16.
Lisack, J. P. 1980. A comparison study of the College Board Scholastic Aptitude Test scores between students in Indiana, the Midwestern region, and the Nation. Paper presented at the Indiana Conference on Higher Education, Office of Manpower Studies, Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind., November. ERIC, ED 196926.
17.
Morgan, B. D.1992. The correlation between ACT composite scores and grade point averages of first-time college freshmen after the first year of study at an urban state university in Illinois. ERIC, ED 361342.