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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2000

News Release

NEA President Finds Much To Cheer in SAT Report

American College-Bound Students Making Real Progress

Washington, D.C. -- The College Board's most recent report on the results of college-bound students taking the SAT shows significant progress for American students over the past decade.

"America's public schools are truly making the American dream a reality for more and more people every day," said Bob Chase, president of the 2.5 million-member National Education Association.

"Higher expectations, higher standards, and a greater push to take rigorous courses in high school is paying off for America's students," Chase said. "More students are taking the test, and more students are doing very well."

Chase said the College Board's report, released today, showed schools are helping close the achievement gaps between girls and boys and between whites and minorities.

"Students' SAT scores show steady improvement, especially in light of the achievement gains for students who have not traditionally performed well on the test," Chase said. "When you consider where we started as a society, when college was really the exclusive province of white, upper-middle class males, the results are quite amazing."

The College Board reported that SAT average scores rose for most racial and ethnic groups between 1990 and 2000. Among those showing the most dramatic improvement over the decade were American Indian, Alaskan Native, Asian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Puerto Rican students. The scores of African American students also showed progress over the past 10 years.

The College Board cites the participation rate as the most significant factor in interpreting test scores.

In 1980, only about one-third of students took the SAT. In 2000, 44 percent took the SAT. The percentage of students who do not speak English as a native language is growing, and the percentage of students who are the first in their families to attend college is growing, the College Board found.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.