PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island students improved their SAT scores on both mathematics and reading, and while they remain below national averages, state officials said they represent improvements and narrow the achievement gap among students of color.
The R.I. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released SAT data from the College Board for the 2013-2014 school year on Tuesday.
On the testing scale of 200 to 800, Rhode Island students scored 484 on average in mathematics and 483 in critical reading, both 5 points higher than the previous year. In writing, Rhode Island students scored 471, 2-point decline from the previous year.
The national averages are 501 in mathematics, 492 in reading and 478 in writing.
The state department noted that some achievement gaps narrowed, saying black students improved in mathematics (11 points higher), reading (6 points higher), and writing (3 points higher) at a faster rate than the state average. Hispanic students also improved faster than the state average in reading (with a gain of 6 points), while also improving in mathematics (3 points). The participation rate among Hispanic students improved significantly in 2013-14, with 7.2 percent more taking the test than in the previous school year.
“While we still have achievement gaps across the state, it is encouraging to see some of these gaps beginning to narrow and to see greater participation on the SAT among students of color,” Patrick A. Guida, Council on Elementary and Secondary Education chairman, said in a statement. “Because the SAT is being aligned with the Common Core State Standards, our dedicated effort in Rhode Island toward implementation of Common Core standards will help our students to continue to improve their performance on this assessment.”
“These SAT results are further evidence that Rhode Island students are making good progress toward college and career readiness, but we have a long way to go to meet our proficiency goals,” Eva-Marie Mancuso, Board of Education chairwoman, said in a statement. “Though we are still below the national average, I am proud of our high-school students and our teachers for the improvements we’re seeing this year on SAT results, particularly in the core subjects of math and reading.”
The College Board data also showed continued improvement in participation and in success on AP tests. Overall participation on AP tests in Rhode Island public schools increased 5.2 percent in 2013-14, with 4,366 students participating and taking a total of 7,248 exams. Students scored 3 or better (on a scale of 1 to 5) on 4,151 exams – a 12.5 percent improvement over the previous year.
With the exception of some smaller schools and state-operated schools, students in every public high school in Rhode Island took AP tests.
“Our AP participation continues to grow, as students in virtually every high school in the state have opportunities to take these challenging courses that will prepare them for success beyond high school.” Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist said in a statement.
