2009 Massachusetts College-Bound Seniors More Diverse than Ever Before

NEW YORK — The most diverse group of Massachusetts’s graduating seniors has taken a significant step in pursuing a college education by taking the SAT^®. Of the commonwealth’s 2009 college-bound seniors who took the SAT, 23.3 percent were minority students. This is an increase from 16.7 percent in 2004. In addition, 32.1 percent of Massachusetts SAT takers will be the first in their families to go to college.

“An increase in the number of minority students in Massachusetts’s who plan to go on to college is an encouraging sign for the commonwealth and for our country. For the U.S. to maintain its leadership position in an increasingly competitive world economy, we must improve the college preparedness of all students,” said Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board.

Average scores of Massachusetts’s 60,591 college-bound SAT participants in the class of 2009 were 514 in critical reading, 526 in mathematics and 510 in writing. In comparison:

2008 scores were 514 in critical reading, 525 in mathematics and 513 in writing.
2004 the scores were 518 in verbal and 523 in mathematics.
Writing did not appear on the SAT until 2005. In 2006, the first year the scores were reported, the average writing score for Massachusetts’s graduating class was 510.
In 1999, the mean scores for the graduating class were 511 in verbal and 511 mathematics.

Public school students, comprising 73.2 percent of the 2009 seniors taking the SAT in Massachusetts, scored 508 in critical reading, up one point from last year; 522 in mathematics, up two points from last year; and 504 in writing, a one-point decrease on this section from 2008. In 2005, public school students scored an average of 513 in verbal and 522 in mathematics. In 2006, the first year that writing scores were reported, public school students scored an average of 502.

“Massachusetts, with the third highest percentage of students taking the SAT of any state in the country, should be commended for creating an environment in which all students are expected to prepare for college,” Caperton said.

A slightly higher percentage of Massachusetts’s high school graduates took the SAT this year, 83.7 percent compared to 82.9 percent in 2008. Although the percentage of SAT takers increased in 2009, the actual number of those taking the SAT decreased slightly, as did the total number of high school graduates in Massachusetts. The 2.1 percent decline in high school graduates is consistent with the projected slowing in the number of graduates in the nation that is expected to continue for the next four years.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said the state is committed to creating an environment that fosters preparedness and academic equity for all students.

“Massachusetts students make me so proud," said Governor Patrick. "These great results are a tribute to their hard work and the commitment of their teachers and parents."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, eight of the 15 fastest-growing jobs in the United States require a two- or four-year college degree. That fact is not changed by the current economic situation.

“It is more important than ever that students have the support they need to achieve their college dreams,” said Michael Bartini, vice president for the College Board’s New England Regional Office. “Along with enhancing programs to improve academic success and college access, the College Board is committed to helping as many students as possible go to college and graduate. Because of this, the College Board has decided that SAT fees will remain at current levels for the coming year and will continue to provide fee waivers for eligible students.”

Massachusetts students who took more demanding honors or Advanced Placement^® courses tended to have higher SAT scores. For example, students who took English honors or AP^® courses scored 62 points higher in critical reading than the average of all students in Massachusetts, and 66 points higher in writing. Similarly, students who took math honors or AP courses had an 82-point advantage compared to the average SAT mathematics scores for the commonwealth.

Additionally, those completing a core curriculum — defined as four or more years of English, three or more years of mathematics, three or more years of natural science, and three or more years of social science and history — outscored their classmates who did not take a core curriculum. Comparisons of students who took core curricula with those who did not showed an average score increase of 50 points on the critical reading section, 47 points higher on the mathematics section and 52 points higher on the writing section of the SAT.

Also, students who practice more and familiarize themselves with the test tend to have higher average SAT scores, especially those who take the PSAT/NMSQT^®. In Massachusetts, SAT takers who took the PSAT/NMSQT had average scores of 524 in critical reading, 536 in mathematics and 522 in writing, compared to 476, 485 and 464, respectively, for those who did not — a combined difference of 157 points. Of the seniors in the class of 2009 from Massachusetts who took the SAT, 83.6 percent reported taking the PSAT/NMSQT.

The mean scores for all of the seniors who took the test worldwide in 2009 were 501 in critical reading, 515 in mathematics and 493 in writing. Because the percentage of SAT takers varies across states and in comparison to national figures, Massachusetts’s scores should not be compared to the total group or other state’s scores.

The College-Bound Seniors Total Group Report and the Massachusetts State Profile Report are available at www.collegeboard.com/cbseniors.