Executive Summary: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 2000 SAT Report: HOME
2000 Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) Results for Montgomery County Public Schools
PROFICIENCY AND PARTICIPATION RATES
SAT average, at 1093, stands three points lower than last year's 28-year high point. SAT participation rate, at 80 percent, stands at the 28-year high point.		 The overall average Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) score for the MCPS class of 2000 was 1093 (see Table 1, below). The test was taken by 6,144 members of the class. This represented 80 percent of the total enrollment, the highest percentage of MCPS seniors taking the SAT since 1973. Over the past 25 years verbal scores have fluctuated within 6 points of 539 while math scores have demonstrated a consistently upward trend to 557, the highest ever reported in MCPS. Thus, long-term incremental improvements in the SAT total score have been due to the strength of the math program. These high score levels were attained in combination with an increasing SAT participation rate. Among states and school districts nationwide, expansion of SAT participation rates are often accompanied by decreases in SAT average scores.

Compared to last year, results for the Class of 2000 showed a three-point decline. The countywide decline in scores was mirrored by a decline in all racial/ethnic groups except whites. However, all MCPS racial/ethnic groups remained significantly above their counterparts nationally. A comparison of MCPS with Fairfax (VA) Public Schools show both school districts to be evenly competitive across the years.

Recent trends in SAT performance (see Table 1, below) and participation rates (see Table 2, below) differ by racial/ethnic group. For example, Table 2 shows that, over the past four years, African-American participation increased 3 percentage points. Their annual fluctuations in SAT means were not statistically significant. Hispanic students' participation rate increased by 9 percentage points accompanied by a statistically significant decline of 31 points in SAT mean scores.
Racial/ethnic groups showed different four-year trends in SAT average scores: Hispanic averages down; White averages up; African American and Asian averages variable.		 The mean SAT total score for Asian seniors trended upward in the two years following 1997 and then dropped to a mean of 1123 in 2000. These ups and downs were statistically significant; however, Asian scores for the Class of 2000 remained above the 1997 mean of 1111 despite the higher participation rates. Finally, the white seniors showed a statistically significant, increasing trend from a mean of 1138 in 1997 to a mean of 1152 in 2000 accompanied by an increased participation rate in 2000.

Table 1
Average SAT Total Score by Race for MCPS,
Maryland, Fairfax County Public Schools, and
USA for Graduating Classes of 1997 - 2000.

1997 1998 1999 2000
African
American		 MCPS 922 919 921 914
MARYLAND 859 855 857 854
FAIRFAX 930 954 941 *
USA 857 860 856 860
Asian
American		 MCPS 1111 1133 1131 1123
MARYLAND 1080 1090 1097 1091
FAIRFAX 1078 1085 1082 *
USA 1056 1060 1058 1064
Hispanic MCPS 993 994 973 962
MARYLAND 988 979 982 988
FAIRFAX 1022 1001 995 *
USA 917 916 915 918
White MCPS 1138 1137 1149 1152
MARYLAND 1072 1077 1079 1083
FAIRFAX 1124 1136 1149 *
USA 1052 1054 1055 1058
Total MCPS 1092 1092 1096 1093
MARYLAND 1014 1014 1014 1016
FAIRFAX 1088 1095 1094 *
USA 1016 1017 1016 1019

Table 2
SAT Participation Rates by Race for
Graduating Classes of 1997- 2000

1997 1998 1999 2000
African American 62% 63% 62% 65%
Asian American 84% 85% 84% 87%
Hispanic 39% 43% 45% 48%
White 80% 80% 80% 84%
TOTAL 76% 77% 79% 80%

Gender differences in scores show the same pattern as is found nationally over the past decade: verbal averages nearly even; math averages some 30 points higher for males.		 Over the past 10 years in MCPS and nationally, verbal score averages for males and females have not been more than 7 points apart. However, males have outscores females by 30 to 40 points in math over the past 10 years. The MCPS results by gender were above the Maryland and national averages. In the verbal section, MCPS males and females outscored their counterparts in Maryland by 28 and 30 points, respectively. In math, the differences were 41 and 47 points, respectively (see Table 3, below).

Table 3
Average SAT Total Scores by Gender for
the Class of 2000

Verbal Math Total
Male MCPS 536 574 1110
State 508 527 1035
National 507 533 1040
Female MCPS 536 541 1077
State 506 494 1000
National 504 498 1002

Executive Summary: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 2000 SAT Report: HOME

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Last Updated on September 13, 2000