The SAT scores of Nevada high school seniors have slipped compared with the national average over the past five years, according to a report released Tuesday.
On the verbal skills portion of the Scholastic Assessment Test, the average score in Nevada dropped from 512 in 1999 to 510 in 2003. The national average increased from 505 to 507 in that period.
On the math portion of the test, the average score in Nevada held steady at 517, while the national average score increased from 511 to 519 in that period, according to the report from the College Board.
The highest possible score on each portion of the test is 800.
Local school officials attributed the showing of Nevada's students to a larger and more ethnically diverse pool of students taking the SAT.
"The wider the pool of kids taking the test, the flatter you're going to see those test scores," said Jane Kadoich, Clark County School District's director of guidance and counseling.
About 1,400 more students took the test this year than in 1999. While the number of whites taking the test increased, the percentage with limited or no English language skills taking the test has increased at a slightly greater rate, about 1 percentage point a year since 1999.
In Nevada and throughout the nation, male students outscored female students in both verbal and math. In Nevada males scored an average of 5 points higher in the verbal portion of the test. Nationwide, the divide was 9 points.
The difference was even more marked in the math portion of the test, in which males scored an average of 34 points higher than females both in Nevada and nationwide.
Nationally, math scores rose 3 points to 519 in 2003, the highest level in 35 years. Verbal scores rose 3 points to 507, the highest score since 1987.
Despite those gains College Board officials plan to change the test because of complaints by faculty members that students lack writing skills.
"One of the things the College Board is doing is to institute a writing section on the SAT, which will begin in 2005," Jennifer Topiel, a College Board spokeswoman, said. "Hopefully, that will encourage teachers and educators to focus on writing."
Clark County School District officials say they are making efforts to do a better job of preparing students for college.
Agustin Orci, school district deputy superintendent, said that more students than ever are taking advanced placement courses as well as the SAT.
"We're really pushing advanced placement courses," Orci said. "We are already seeing some good results in math. We're really trying to emphasize literacy."
Orci said that 46 percent of eighth graders in the district have taken algebra, compared with just 10 percent three years ago. Of those who took algebra, 85 percent got a C or better, he said.
The district has also instituted a program to train teachers as literacy specialists.
Officials at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas say this year's group of freshmen -- most of whom are included in the 2003 group of SAT takers -- believe the advanced placement courses are making a difference.
"I think that students are getting the message that you need to take vigorous course work in order to go to college," Pamela Hicks, UNLV's director of undergraduate recruitment, said. "And they need to be prepared to take the ACT or SAT."
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