FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2000
Once again Madison high school students have scored significantly above the state and national averages on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). The district's student average composite score was 1257, over 6 percent higher than the composite average for Wisconsin students (1181), and over 23 percent higher than the national average (1019).
District scores increased nine points in verbal to 618, which is the highest recorded by the district over the last eight years. District scores remained the same in math, 639.
Madison students scored 42 points (6%) higher than the state in math, and 34 points (7%) higher in the verbal component. Compared to the students taking the SAT at the national level, MMSD students were 125 points higher in math (639 to 514, 22%) and 113 points higher in verbal (618 to 505, 24%).
The SAT is a standardized collegiate admissions exam, made up of verbal and math sections -– each worth a possible 800 points for a total of 1600.
The ACT college entrance examination continues to be more popular with Madison students, with approximately 74% of seniors taking it, compared to about 25% for the SAT.
Madison students taking the ACT also outperformed their state and national peers by 9 percent and 15 percent respectively in results released earlier this month.
SAT Score Comparison by Year:
COMPOSITE Year Madison Wisconsin US 1999-00 1257 1181 1019 1998-99 1248 1179 1016 1997-98 1254 1175 1017 1996-97 1247 1169 1016 1995-96 1229 1163 1013 1994-95 1219 1159 1010 VERBAL Year Madison Wisconsin US 1999-00 618 584 505 1998-99 609 584 505 1997-98 614 581 505 1996-97 616 579 505 1995-96 608 577 505 1994-95 600 574 504 MATH Year Madison Wisconsin US 1999-00 639 597 514 1998-99 639 595 511 1997-98 640 594 512 1996-97 631 590 511 1995-96 621 586 508 1994-95 619 585 506
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email: newsrelease@madison.k12.wi.us
Last Modified: 2000-08-29
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