SAT Scores

Maine’s math scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, administered by the College Board in Princeton, New Jersey, have consistently and substantially lagged the national average scores for over two decades. See also SAT Score for College Bound.  During the 1980’s Maine’s verbal scores exceeded the national averages, but since 1990 they have generally been somewhat below those averages.

Since 1995, most SAT scores have conformed to a new system, which makes direct comparisons with older figures difficult. However, in both the old and new systems, the differences between Maine and national scores have been consistent.

The most recent scores under the new system shows Maine males out performing females in math, females recently pulling ahead in Critical Reading, formerly “Verbal,” and females consistently out performing males in the new Writing category. (For simplicity in presenting the tables and charts, the term “Verbal” has been retained.)

Parents’ income and education in 2003 and in 2010 were both positively associated with SAT scores. With the requirement since 2006 that all seniors take the SAT exams, the overall scores have decline, probably because more students from less advantaged families are now included in the totals.

In 2003, 11,340 Maine students took the exams; by 2010 that number had climbed to 15,383, a 36% increase. The consequences of this, in a time of increasing economic inequality, means fewer Maine people will be trained for the technical job in the new economy.

The “Verbal” category name has been replace with “Critical Reading” in recent years.  Writing is a new category introduced in 2006. Figures in red represent those from the “old” system of scoring.

	Verbal	Math	Verbal	Math	Verbal	Math
Year	US	US	Maine	Maine	ME-US	ME-US
1980	424	466	428	467	4	1
1981	424	467	426	465	2	-2
1982	426	467	427	463	1	-4
1983	425	468	427	464	2	-4
1984	426	471	429	462	3	-9
1985	431	475	432	466	1	-9
1986	431	475	434	466	3	-9
1987	430	476	433	466	3	-10
1988	428	476	430	466	2	-10
1989	427	476	431	466	4	-10
1990	424	476	423	463	-1	-13
1991	422	474	421	460	-1	-14
1992	423	476	422	460	-1	-16
1993	424	478	422	463	-2	-15
1994	423	479	420	463	-3	-16
1995	504	506	504	497	0	-9
1996	505	508	504	498	-1	-10
1997	505	511	507	504	2	-7
1998	505	512	504	501	-1	-11
1999	505	511	507	503	2	-8
2000	505	514	504	500	-1	-14
2001	506	514	506	500	0	-14
2002	504	516	503	502	-1	-14
2003	507	519	503	501	-4	-18
2004	508	518	505	501	-3	-17
2005	508	520	509	505	1	-15
2006	503	518	501	501	-2	-17
2007	501	514	466	465	-36	-50
2008	500	514	469	466	-31	-49
2009	499	515	468	467	-31	-48
2010	500	514	468	467	-32	-49
2011	497	514	469	469	-28	-45
2012	496	514	470	472	-26	-42
2013	496	514	462	467	-34	-47
	Math	Math	Verbal	Verbal	Writing	Writing
Year	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females
1998	518	486	506	503
1999	521	488	510	504
2000	519	484	506	503
2001	518	485	509	503
2002	521	485	505	501
2003	520	483	507	499
2004	524	482	511	500
2005	527	487	515	504
2006	522	484	504	499	484	497
2007	475	457	461	474	443	475
2008	474	462	464	476	446	479
2009	475	450	462	474	438	471
2010	473	461	461	476	436	473
2011	476	462	465	478	436	470
2012	478	465	462	478	434	470
2013	473	467	455	469	436	467

 

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Additional Reources:

The College Board Internet web site, www.collegeboard.com; 2003 data is from the 2003 Maine State Report accessible though that site in 2003.

Pre-1995 Maine data is from the Maine Department of Education.

The 2004-2010 data, and some revisions to earlier data, are from http://professionals.collegeboard.com/data-reports-research/sat/archived/ (accessed on November 2, 2010)

2013 data are from http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/research/2013/ME_13_03_03_01.pdf (accessed December 10, 2013)