A New Strategy for the SAT

© Dr. Gary D. Lemmons, September 3, 2006

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and Georgia State School Superintendent Kathy Cox were sent into the “giddy giggles” this week with the announcement that Georgia students, taking the SAT exams, had moved from 50^th to 46^th among all students in the fifty states who participate in this national assessment.  When compared with students just in the public schools Georgia’ s ranking moved from 48^th to 44^th. 

2400 being the perfect score on the test, Georgia students posted an average score of 1477.  The average score nationwide on the assessment was 1518.

In a couple of areas, Georgia excelled.  Among black students, the Georgia contingent scored 1293, two points above the national average score (1291) of black students who took the test.  This gave Georgia a ranking of 34^th among that sub-group.  Among Hispanic students, Georgia’s students averaged 48 points above the national average of that sub-group.  Collectively, all of Georgia’s students did respectable on the new writing portion of the test, which includes an essay.  The average score was 487.

There is a downside to all of this.  Georgia student fell three point to an average score of 494 out of a possible 800 on the verbal portion of the test now called the “critical reading” section.  The state remained dead last in the math section with an average score of 496 out of a possible 800. 

What does this tell us?

First, the performance of our kids on the “writing” portion of the test saved the day for Georgia.  Without that higher score over kids in other states, we would have likely remained in last place.  So “kudos” to those English teachers who drilled the writing skills into the kids and graded those writing assignments and practice essays until they were almost blind!

Second, despite:

the progress of our kids is, at best, stagnant.

Third, a “new strategy” is needed to move Georgia forward in the SAT score “competition.”

Governor Perdue, like “a lost ball in high grass” has unknowingly laid the foundation for the “new strategy.”  At his prodding the Georgia General Assembly has provided funds for all students to take the PSAT exam in the tenth grade.

School systems would be wise to use the results of the PSAT scores to counsel students and parents about postsecondary education options.  Students, who do not score well on the PSAT and who are not posting higher than average grades on their regular school work, likely are not going into nuclear medicine or rocket science.  Consequently, it is not necessary for them to take the SAT.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I am NOT for forbidding or preventing any student who wants to take the test from taking it.  However, I think it is absurd that 70% of high school seniors take the SAT and only about one-half that number even enrolls in college!

It seems that we have a mind set in this country today, all the way from “Georgie” Bush to “Sonny” Perdue to “Roy the barber” that ALL kids have to “go to college.”  For example, if you listen to the rhetoric of the politicians, you never hear one say that they are in favor of an America where parents can “work hard, raise their families, and send their kids to ‘plumber training’!”  It is always “to send their kids to college.”

Well, I have news for “Georgie,” “Sonny,” and “Roy;” there are countless kids who don’t want to go to college.  They want technical, vocational, or trade training and the opportunity for a job.   A SAT score isn’t worth “two hurrahs in Hades” to them.

If we will get our “heads out of the proverbial sand,” we can implement a “new strategy” that will meet the needs of our students and move our SAT scores along as well.