More California students are taking the S-A-T… but scores are down. Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson says 53 percent of California seniors took the test, which colleges use to evaluate applicants. That’s up four percent from last year.
Among public school students, writing scores were down five points. Both math and critical reading scores were down six points.
Torlakson says there’s a connection between the increased participation and a drop in scores. “When you have more students maybe from a less strong academic background,” he said, “the scores will sort of flatten out and that’s what we’re seeing.”
65 percent of the California high school seniors taking the S-A-T this year were minority students. Torlakson says that’s the most diverse class in state history.
