Release Date: Aug 31, 2004 1:00 AM  

Public School Verbal Scores Steady; Slight Decrease in Math; AP Participation Rates Soar

Dover, Del.–August 31, 2004According to statistics released earlier today by the College Board, the average mathematics and verbal scores of Delaware’s public and non-public college-bound seniorswho took the Scholastic Assessment Test I (SAT I) at least once during their secondary careers decreased slightly in comparison to last year’s test score.The SAT I average verbal score decreased by one point while the SAT I average math score decreased two points.

On the verbal portion of the SAT I, Delaware’s students, public and non-public, scored an average of 500, a one point decrease from last year, placing Delaware third in the region.Nationally, students averaged a 508 on the verbal portion of the SAT I, a one point increase from last year.

In today’s national release, the College Board reported that average mathematics score of Delaware’s college-bound seniors attending the state’s public and non-public schools was 499 which places Delaware fifth in the region.This year’s national average math score is 518, a one point decrease from 2003.

Public school scores in Delaware changed slightly from last year’s results. On the verbal portion of the SAT I, 4,205 Delaware students averaged 484, showing no change from last year’s results.Nationally, public school students averaged 504 on the verbal exam, a one point gain from last year. On the math portion of the SAT I, Delaware’s public school students averaged 484, a two point decrease from last year.Nationally, public school students averaged 513, showing no gain from last year.

Delaware’s SAT I participation rate of 73% remained steady and well above the nation’s participation rate of 48% which also remained steady this year.As a result, Delaware’s participation rate is ranked ninth in the nation and fifth in the region.

Secretary of Education Valerie A. Woodruff stated, “I am disappointed that we saw no gains in our verbal scores. The decline in mathematics, even though it is slight,underscores the need for tremendous attention to math curriculum and instruction. While some students are receiving high quality math instruction, clearly the entire 73% who have college aspirations are not.”

In Delaware, nearly 56% of SAT I test takers were female compared to 44% males, however, male test takers outscored their female counterparts in both portions of the SAT I.Male students scored an average of 488 on the verbal portion of the exam, a decrease of two points from last year, while female students averaged 480, which was constant from 2003.In math, male students, on average, scored 503, a three point decrease from last year, while female students scored 468, a two point drop from 2003.

A breakdown of Delaware public school scores by ethnicity is as follows:

Group	Number	% Part	Verbal	Change from 2003	Mathematics	Change from 2003
Male	1,875	44.6%	488	-2	503	-3
Female	2,330	55.4%	480	0	468	-2
American Indian	21	0.5%	490	+56	470	-20
Asian	176	4.2%	514	+13	568	+14
Black	842	20.0%	414	-3	409	0
Hispanic Overall	131	3.1%	454	-14	440	-17
Mexican American	26	0.6%	456	0	464	+10
Puerto Rican	67	1.6%	448	-10	426	-17
Other Hispanic	38	0.9%	461	-29	448	-26
White	2,317	55.1%	504	0	504	-1
Other	102	2.4%	479	+1	464	-1
No Response	616	14.6%	500	+5	498	0

Delaware’s public school participation in Advanced Placement (AP) opportunities showed dramatic increases from 2003 to 2004. The number of public school students participating in AP examinations increased 16.1%,while the total number of examinations increased by 19%. Female students increased AP participation 14.4% compared to 2003, while the number of male students participating in AP courses rose by 18.3%.Of the 3,624 AP examinations given to Delaware public school students, 2,014 students received a score of 3 or higher, a significant increase of 18.2% over last year’s results.Generally, a score of 3 or higher is needed at most colleges and universities in order to receive course credit.

A breakdown of Delaware public school students taking AP examinations is as follows:

Group	No. of Students	% Part	No. of Exams	Grades 3-5
Male	919	18.3%	1,632	972
Female	1,173	56.1%	1,992	1,042
American Indian	9	0.4%	18	7
Asian	220	10.5%	512	343
Black	156	7.5%	226	78
Hispanic Overall	52	2.5%	97	50
Mexican American	12	0.6%	16	9
Puerto Rican	13	0.6%	28	13
Other Hispanic	27	1.3%	53	28
White	1,534	73.3%	2,554	1,419
Other	71	3.4%	145	88
No Response	50	2.4%	72	29

“I am pleased to see yet another year of dramatic increase in both the number of students taking AP examinations and the number of examinations being administered,” said Secretary Woodruff.“Public school test takers increased by 16.1% which is nearly double the U.S. growth rate. African-American participation rose 28.9% which is 2.5 times the U.S. growth rate.Scores in the 3 to 5 category also increased, up 25.8% which is also 2.5 times the national average.”

Our public schools have drastically increased participation rates for PSAT/NMSQT for sophomores (152.7%) and juniors (38.8%) this year. Schools will have additional data from the administration and results of these tests.Secretary Woodruff said, “I am hopeful that the opportunity being given to sophomore and junior high school students to take the PSAT will result in stronger performance on the SAT in the future.”

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Delaware's Department of Education is committed to promoting the highest quality education for every Delaware student by providing visionary leadership and superior service.	Contact Info. Alison Kepner Delaware Department of Education 401 Federal Street, Suite #2 Dover, Delaware 19901 Phone: (302) 735-4035 Fax: (302) 739-4654 Email: akepner@doe.k12.de.us
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