SAT Scores Continue To Rise In Connecticut

By Cara Rubinksy Associated Press

HARTFORD — Connecticut’s 2005 high school graduates posted slightly higher SAT scores than the Class of 2004, but state education officials said Tuesday that a large achievement gap between white and minority students remains.

Connecticut students scored above the national average on the verbal section, but slightly below the average in math.

The average combined score of 2005 Connecticut graduates was 1,034 out of a possible 1,600, up four points from 2004 and the highest combined score in the state since 1974.

Connecticut students scored an average of 517 points on both the verbal and math sections. The national average was 508 on the verbal section and 520 on math, for a combined total of 1,028.

Average scores in Connecticut have risen steadily over the past several years. The average score in 2000 was 508 on the verbal section and 509 on the math.

 “The percentage of Connecticut students planning to go to college is impressive,” said state Education Commissioner Betty Sternberg. “This shows the high expectations we hold for students and the expectations they hold for themselves.”

Of 19 states with participation rates over 60 percent, Connecticut’s combined average score was the fourth-highest, behind New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

“This news is heartening,” said Governor M. Jodi Rell. “It not only highlights the forward strides of our students, it also reflects positively on the teachers of Connecticut and the excellent job they are doing. Working together, we are going to continue to improve our state education system and raise the bar for student achievement.”

Black students in Connecticut had a combined average score that was seven points higher than last year, but still 219 points lower than the average score of their white counterparts. Hispanic students had a combined average score of 901, the same as last year and 163 points lower than white students.