Vol. 41, No. 56
August 30, 2007
CONTACT: JIM MORRIS
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Missouri’s SAT Scores Improve; Popularity of
"AP" Classes Is Still Growing Rapidly
Countering the national trend, Missouri students posted higher scores this year on the SAT college-entry exam. They also continued to sign up for Advanced Placement (AP) courses in record numbers, state education officials announced this week.
State and national statistics for the 2006-2007 SAT results and Advanced Placement program were released August 28 by The College Board.
"I am pleased the more than half a billion dollars we have invested in Missouri classrooms since I took office is having a positive impact on our students," said Gov. Matt Blunt.
"This year we sent more money to Missouri classrooms than ever before and also secured funding to encourage even more students to take AP classes, including training for more AP teachers and assistance to help cover the cost of AP exams. It is clear by our students’ outstanding performance that our investments are helping our students prepare for the challenges ahead," he said.
Nationally, the composite average SAT score dropped by 4 points – one point on the math subtest and three points on the critical reading subtest.
Missouri students, on the other hand, posted an overall gain of 10 points, with totals of 594 (up 7 points) in mathematics and 594 (up 3 points) in critical reading. The maximum possible score is 800 on each of the subtests.
Missouri students typically score 80 to 90 points higher than the national average on the math and reading subtests of the SAT.
The number of high school graduates taking the SAT in Missouri dropped by about 500 (almost 13%) to 3,720. By comparison, more than 45,000 high school students took the ACT exam last year.
Some AP Courses Now Available Online
Although fewer students took the SAT last year, the number of Missouri students signing up for Advanced Placement classes increased significantly, rising to almost 12,750 – an increase of nearly 11% over last year.
AP courses also are sponsored by The College Board. Students across the nation may take the same exam at the end of their AP courses and may qualify for advanced college credit, based on their scores.
The number of students taking AP classes in Missouri high schools has increased rapidly in recent years – more than doubling since 1999-2000.
"It is gratifying to see that Missouri students continue to shine on the SAT exam, in comparison to the rest of the country. We are even happier to see the very strong and positive trend in number of students who take advantage of Advanced Placement courses," said Commissioner of Education D. Kent King.
AP courses will be more accessible to Missouri students this year through the state’s new "virtual school" program and could help fuel the growth in AP participation. Students now have online access to nine Advanced Placement courses through the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program (MoVIP), which began operating earlier this month.
According to preliminary figures from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, students have already registered nearly 350 times to take AP courses this semester.