Idaho's SAT Math Scores Improve in 2014

The results of the 2014 SAT Schoolday administration were released last week. This was the third annual administration of the SAT to juniors statewide. The State Department of Education coordinates the administration, and juniors are offered the opportunity to take the exam at no cost.

Juniors must take a college entrance exam prior to the end of the 11th grade year in order to graduate from high school. If they have taken the SAT, ACT, or the Compass exam prior to the Schoolday administration, or plan to take one of the three exams prior to the end of junior year, students are not required to sit for the Schoolday exam.

SAT ACHIEVEMENT

For the purposes of this post, we considered only high school where 75 or more juniors sat for the SAT Schoolday exam, and only those schools in which 80% of juniors took the Schoolday exam. For the purpose of evaluating growth from the 2013 exam, we used only schools that tested 80% of juniors in both years. High schools in which less than 80% of students took the 2014 SAT were Blackfoot, Bonners Ferry, Burley, Canyon Ridge (Twin Falls), Jerome, Post Falls, South Fremont, and Wood River (Blaine County).

Following is a scattergram in which the percentage of students scoring above 500 (the College Board standard for college readiness) is the y-axis variable, and the percentage of free/reduced students is the x-axis variable.

The top scoring “large” high schools in 2014 were (% and average score):




SAT GROWTH

Almost 800 more students scored 500 or better in math on the 2014 Schoolday exam than did in 2013, a 4% gain. Though these are two different groups of juniors, there were almost 17,000 students in each tested group. The average scale score increased from 453 to 461.

We took a look at the high schools that made the most growth from 2013 to 2014. We eliminated the school that tested less than 80% of students in 2013 and/or in 2014. In addition to the schools listed as eliminated above, Kuna (76%), Payette (72%), and Weiser (73%) were eliminated from the comparison.

Here are the schools that made the most growth from 2013 to 2014:

LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT STUDENTS

Limited English students, especially refugee/immigrant students who had been in the United States for a relatively short time, struggled with the ISAT, a multiple choice test that assessed relatively low level skills in a multiple choice format. As you can imagine, these students have an even more difficult time on the SAT, and will have similar issues with the Smarter Balanced Assessment next spring.

For example, here are the scoring patterns for a native – speaking student scoring 660 on the SAT math test, and a Limited English student.

                                 Q’s correct                         Q’s missed                Q’s skipped              Scale Score

Native Speaker              46                                             4                                 4                             660

LEP immigrant student    9                                            17                                28                          310

Research on language learning among LEP students shows that “a period of 5-7 years was required, on average, for immigrant students to approach grade norms in academic aspects of English.” (Cummins). Further, a 1995 article by Virginia Collier indicates that “In our studies we have found that in U.S. schools where all instruction is given through the second language(English) nonnative speakers of English withno schooling in their first language takes seven to ten years or more to reach age and grade-level norms of their native-speaking peers.”

On the old ISAT, LEP students were exempted from the language and reading subtests for one year. For the SAT, students can take another exam (ACT or Compass), or have their scores exempted from a school’s totals during their first three years in a United States school.

So how do LEP students’ scores compare? On average, Boise District LEP students who took the SAT scored a composite of 904, compared with the district average of 1426 (excluding LEP students). In math, LEP students scored an average of 330, compared with the district average of 486 (excluding LEP students).

As noted in a previous post, Borah High School has the largest number of LEP students in the state, primarily because the district’s Bridge program for immigrant newcomers is housed at Borah. Fifty-four (54) LEP students took the SAT at Borah. Those students’ average math score was 338. Five (5) (9%) scored above 500 in math, 0 in reading, 0 in writing.

So, what happens when the LEP student scores are taken out of Borah’s percentage of students scoring 500 or above?

Borah High School – Percent 500 or above

                                          With LEP               Without LEP

Reading                                 34%                           39%

Math                                      36%                           41%

Writing                                  21%                           23%

Other districts have high percentages of Limited English Proficient students, though probably not to the level of Borah with its Bridge program. We don’t know the extent of the effect on SAT performance, since the number of LEP tested students is not released by the state.

SAT Math - Rigor and Scores of 700 and Above

In the 2013 administration of the SAT, a score of 700 or above in math ranked in the 93rd percentile nationwide. In Idaho, 247 students, or about 1.5% of the 16921 juniors who took the math subtest, scored a 700 or better on the School Day administration of the SAT. Scoring a 700 is rare, to say the least – most students scoring at this level have their choice of elite schools (of course, they also have high gpa’s, are involved in campus leadership activities, etc).

As has been pointed out in previous posts, a large percentage of Idaho’s student enrollment is concentrated in a few large districts. Over 50% of Idaho’s students go to school in the ten largest districts, and over a quarter of Idaho students attend in the three largest districts, Meridian, Boise, and Nampa.

The vast majority of SAT math scores of 700 and above were also in large districts, but the distribution pattern was very different.

Note that Boise had over a third of the state’s SAT math scores of 700 or better with 9% of the students. Meridian had 15% of the scores with 13% of the students, Coeur d’Alene 10% with 4%, Idaho Falls 6% with 4%, and so on.

In Coeur d’Alene, the two comprehensive high schools (Lake City and Coeur d’Alene) had 9 of the 25 students who scored 700 or better. Sixteen (16) of the students were from Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy. Interestingly, the class of 2014 at CDA Charter had 105 students in the 7th grade, but when the class took the SAT in 11th grade, only 76 remained, a 30% loss among the student population. CDA Charter students are clearly a special group which achieves at a high level.

Sixteen (16) of the 71 students (23%) at CDA Charter who took the SAT during the School Day administration scored 700 or above in math, by far the highest percentage in the state. The total group of 71 students’ average score was 628. Timberline High had 15 of 352 students (4%) score 700 or better in math, with an average of 503.

However, since CDA Charter has a select population, and Timberline High is a comprehensive high school, a better comparison would be a specialized group in the Boise District. For example, the Treasure Valley Math and Science Center uses teacher recommendations, test scores, and an application process to select students who want an accelerated math and science program, and provides a rigorous curriculum, as does CDA Charter. TVMSC is a half-day program offered at a center on the campus of Riverglen Junior High in Boise.

Thirty-three (33) class of 2014 students who were enrolled at TVMSC as 10th, 11th, and or 12th graders took the SAT as 11th graders. Twenty-one (21) of those students (64%) score 700 or better on the SAT math subtest. The total group of 33 students averaged 698 on SAT math.

Students who scored 700 or better were obviously very skilled in math and in problem-solving. However, this level of performance also requires a certain level of content knowledge in mathematics. Of the 88 Boise District students who scored 700 or above in 2013, 87 took Advanced Placement Calculus AB and/or BC as part of their high school math programs. This means that these students were enrolled in AP Calculus AB or Accelerated Math Analysis (or in a few cases AP Calculus BC) as juniors. The lone student who did not take Calculus took AP Statistics as a senior, and was enrolled in Accelerated Math Analysis as a junior.

Of course, a number of students who took Calculus did not score 700 or above in math on the SAT. So enrollment in these courses does not guarantee the highest scores. However, taking advanced math does appear to be a prerequisite for scoring at the highest levels in SAT math.

What the Star Rating System Tells Us, Part 2

The Star Rating System provides a limited portrayal of the quality of a school, mostly because it relies only on growth and achievement in standardized test scores (elementary and junior high), or on those measures and college-ready courses and test scores (high schools). However, given its limitations, the system does provide comparative achievement and growth information about schools across the state.

As indicated in part 1 of this post, elementary and junior high Star Ratings will likely see some revision of growth/achievement weighting by the Star Rating Committee, but will retain the same basic structure.

However, the high school ratings are problematic, in that they tell us little about the achievement outcomes of schools across the state, and instead rely too heavily on growth. Chester Finn, Jr. made an argument for using achievement as the primary measure in rating high schools.

So, if we could adjust the weighting for high schools, could we more accurately reflect outcomes and preparation for post-secondary? Yes, if we used a formula something like this:

• Achievement – 45%
• Growth – 20%
• Graduation Rate – 10%
• Advanced Opportunities – 25%

In this proposal, fully 70% of the points in the rating system would be earned through college-readiness achievement and course-taking patterns. The effect? High schools with the most students taking Dual Credit or Advanced Placement coursework and showing evidence of college readiness on the SAT or the SBAC would have the highest ratings. For example, using growth points, high school graduation, and advanced opportunities from the old system and reweighting them with 2013 SAT performance, the highest ranked schools would be:



Note that every high school received the maximum possible points for high school graduation and for advanced opportunities. Idaho's high school graduation rate is among the best in the nation, so that makes some sense. But the bar for advanced opportunities is set at a very low level. In fact, only 25% of juniors in the high school had to take an advanced opportunity course (AP, Dual Credit, Tech-Prep, International Baccalaureate), as long as 90% of the students enrolled received a grade of "C" or better, for the high school to receive the maximum number of points.

Comparing to the chart we used in Part 1, we see that the proposed weighting system better reflects achievement outcomes in Idaho high schools.



So what happens to high schools that rated 5 stars on the 2013 Star System, but had lower preparation indicators on the SAT?



Even though the Star system is an imperfect measure of school quality, this proposal provides for consumers a better indicator of college and career readiness among Idaho high schools.

Classes of 2007 and 2008 - Degrees Obtained

We now have data further illustrating the degrees obtained and major areas for members of the high school graduating classes of 2007 and 2008. Instead of just “first-time full-time” grads, these data are for all students in those classes who have obtained certificates, Associate degrees, and Baccalaureate degrees.

For the class of 2007, we have data for 6 ½ years after high school graduation. 43 students have obtained Associate’s Degrees, 25 have Certificates, and 471 have four-year degrees. For the class of 2008, (5 ½ years out from high school graduation), 40 have Associate degrees, 31 have Certificates, and 498 have four-year degrees.

Of the 56 certificates reported by colleges for the classes of 2007 and 2008, 39 came from Carrington College of Boise (College of Western Idaho came into existence after these classes began their college journey). 36 of 56 certificates were in areas of medicine (Medical Assisting and Dental Assisting were the most popular certificates).

Of the 83 Associate’s Degrees earned by the classes of 2007 and 2008, 24 came from Boise State University and the College of Western Idaho; the remainder were from colleges scattered around the region and the country.

969 four-year degrees have been earned by the classes of 2007 ad 2008. Here is the distribution of four-year degree major areas for those graduates:



Of the BSD 4-year college grads, 284 (29%) graduated from Boise State University. Here is the distribution of majors among the BSU grads:



167 (17%) of the BSD grads matriculated from the University of Idaho. Here's a chart showing the major areas for those students:



In November, we'll have 5 years of data from the high school class of 2009, and additional information about 2007 and 2008. We'll add those data into the mix, in order to continue tracking college destinations and majors.

Update
To date, 32.3% of the Class of 2007 have received a 2 or 4 year degree or a certificate from a college or university. For the class of 2008, the figure is 29%. College matriculation rates for every state are available at the National Council for Higher Education Management Systems site. These graduation rates are about three times those claimed in the Idaho Business for Education Field Guide to Education in Idaho on the Don't Fail Idaho website.

What the Star Rating System Tells Us, Part 1

In August of 2013, Michael Petrilli posted an article in the online magazine Education Next,entitled “The Problem with Proficiency”. In the post, he argued that proficiency levels are determined largely by demographics, and advocated for a system in which schools are judged largely on student academic growth. Petrilli wrote: “To be sure, proficiency rates should be reported publicly, and parents should be told whether their children are on track for college or a well-paying career. (That’s one of the great benefits of a high standard like the Common Core.) But using these rates to evaluate schools will end up mislabeling many as failures that might in fact be doing incredible work at helping their students make progress over time.”

In the same month, Chester E. Finn, Jr. responded with “Let’s Hear it for Proficiency”, in which he argued that proficiency has its rightful place as an indicator of readiness, especially for college, and should not be dropped: “Not, at least, so long as it matters greatly in the real world. Do you want the pilot of your plane to be proficient at take-offs and landings or simply to demonstrate improvement in those skills? (Do you want to fly on an airline that uses only “growth measures” when hiring pilots?) How about dining in restaurants that use only growth measures when selecting chefs? Having your chest cut open by thoracic surgeons who showed “gains” on their surgical boards but didn’t actually “pass” them?”

The Idaho Star Rating system was initiated by the Idaho State Department of Education in 2012. The first school ratings were published in the 2012-13 school year, combining growth and proficiency measures. Though many states have opted for an “A-F” rating system, Idaho’s SDE decided to use a rating system similar to that used for hotels – 5 is the highest rating a school can receive, and 1 is the lowest. The Star Rating system was implemented as part of Idaho’s NCLB waiver request , submitted in September of 2012.

Though the Star Rating system itself is complicated, suffice it to say that the points earned by schools in the system are based primarily on school performance on the ISAT; in fact, 100% of the ratings for elementary and middle/junior high schools are based on test scores. In 2014-15, the system will replace the ISAT with scores from the Smarter Balanced assessments which are being piloted statewide this year.

At elementary and middle/junior high levels, the distribution of Star rating points is as follows:

• ISAT Achievement – 25%
• ISAT Growth – 75%

This distribution allows schools that are achieving at a relatively low level to gain Star Rating points by demonstrating that students are “growing” from grade to grade at a high level. In other words, if the schools in a system are showing excellent growth, outcomes should be better over time for that system.

Members of the Star Rating Advisory Committee (established this year by the State Department of Education) recommended that a more balanced distribution of points between achievement and growth be implemented beginning in 2014-15, in order that schools with high achievement receive more credit for their performance. However, the basic structure of the elementary/junior high system will remain intact.

At the senior high school level, the system contains a few more variables. Here is the basic structure:

• ISAT Achievement – 20%
• ISAT Growth – 50%
• High School Graduation Rate – 15%
• SAT College Readiness – 7.5%
• Advanced Coursework – 7.5%

The ISAT was taken by 9th and 10th graders across Idaho, which meant it counted in the Star Rating system for freshmen and sophomores at 4-year high schools, and for just sophomores at 3-year high schools. In the current state testing plan, the SBAC will count for 9th, 10th, and 11th graders in 4-year high schools, for sophomores and juniors in 3-year high schools

The Star system at the high school level relies on growth for half of the rating. The result is that it provides a misleading view of high school performance when considered against measurement of progress on the Idaho State Board of Education goal:

“60% of young Idahoans, ages 25-34, will have a post-secondary degree or
certificate of value by 2020.”

In light of this goal, It would be helpful to know how Idaho schools are doing in preparing students for college. The high school Star Ratings don’t tell us that. If we use the SAT performance of Idaho juniors and cross-reference Star Ratings for Idaho high schools, this is what we find:



So, while Timberlake High School (Lakeland District) and Moscow High School are among the top high schools in the state at preparing students for college math, they are “4-star schools”, and American Falls High School and Marsing High School, with far fewer students prepared, are “5-star schools”.

This is caused primarily by the weighting of the factors in the Star Rating system. Grade-to-grade student growth counts for half of the Star Ratings for high schools. If the system were more outcome-based, that is, if it put more weight on preparation for college and career in Idaho high schools (as Finn recommends), we’d have a better picture of how we measure up in preparing students. In Part 2 of this post, we’ll examine an idea for a different weighting system that would be more reflective of outcomes and preparation.

Go On Patterns at Boise and Capital

Over the past two decades, the Boise District student population has become more diverse, in terms of free/reduced lunch qualification. In 1990, for example, the percentage of Boise’s elementary students qualifying for free/reduced lunch was 27%. In 2000, the percentage was 40%, and in March 2013 it was 48%.

At the senior high level, we find that free/reduced populations at Boise, Capital and the District as a whole stood at these levels in 2007 and 2013:



So what effect has changing demographics had on college-going percentages at the two high schools and in the district? Perhaps not what you might think. Below are “Direct to College” percentages at the two high schools and in the District.



Note first that the percentages have increased at both high schools since 2007 (Boise from 64 to 69 and Capital from 48 to 62), and in the District. As demographics have dramatically changed at Capital, the percentage of students going on to college has increased substantially!

The same patterns emerge when we look at students who enter college in the first two years after high school. Here is that chart with Boise, Capital, and the District:



As you can see in this chart, the percentage of high school grads enrolling in college within 2 years of graduation for the class of 2011 is close to 80% at Boise High School, and is at 74% at Capital. Again, Capital’s percentages have increased dramatically even as the student population has continued to change.

What has caused such a dramatic positive change in Capital’s “Go on” rates? There appear to be several factors:

• Capital’s counselors and faculty have made a concerted effort to advise students about college opportunities and encourage students to fill out FAFSA and college applications.
• The College of Western Idaho (CWI) has provided a community college opportunity not previously available to Capital students
• Staff from CWI have worked closely with Capital’s counselors and staff to increase awareness of programs and provide registration opportunities.
• The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program has sparked an increase in Capital college attendance of about 3%.

Boise High School graduates’ college going patterns differ markedly from those of Capital students. Here are the most popular choices for 2013 Boise High grads:




45% of Boise grads enrolled at Boise State, the University of Idaho, and CWI, with only 8% at CWI. Outside of these three schools, the most popular choices for Boise students were the University of Utah (17 students), the College of Idaho (8), Whitman College (6), and BYU, Western Washington, Cal Poly, and Idaho State (5 each). Forty-nine percent (49%) of Boise grads went to out of state colleges.

Here are the patterns for 2013 Capital graduates:



69% of Capital grads enrolled at BSU, UI, and CWI, with 28% at CWI alone. Outside of these three, the most popular Capital choices were Idaho State (9), Utah State, (8), BYU-Idaho (7), and the College of Idaho (6). Twenty percent (20%) of Capital grads attended out of state colleges.

Idaho College-Going Rates, Part 2

In Part 1 of this post, we discussed statewide college-going rates for the classes of 2012 and 2013. The State Board of Education also provided some information about destination patterns among students in districts across the state.

Four Year and Two Year College Patterns

It's interesting to look at trends across the state in terms of Two Year College attendance. The opening of the College of Western Idaho dramatically changed college-going patterns in the Boise District, especially at Borah and Capital High Schools, where many more students are now choosing the Two Year option.

Here's how the patterns look across the state of Idaho. The stacked chart below shows the percentage of class of 2013 students attending Four Year (dark blue bar) and Two Year (light blue bar) colleges. The state of Idaho is highlighted in red and yellow.

Note that Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Moscow, Lewiston, Snake River, Bonneville, and Madison are among those districts with the highest percentages of Four Year attendees.

Idaho Falls Superintendent George Boland noted that there isn't a viable two-year option for most students in his district, since Eastern Idaho Technical College in Idaho Falls fits a specific niche. Most IF students attend BYU-Idaho or Idaho State University.

This also the case in the Madison District down the road in Rexburg. Superintendent Geoffrey Thomas indicated that parents of many Madison students work at BYU-Idaho, and students receive reduced rate tuition there. BYU-Provo and Utah State University are also viable options for some of these students.

Of course, Moscow and Lewiston students have access to two four-year institutions in the neighborhood, the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College.

At the other end of the spectrum, Post Falls and Lakeland have immediate access to North Idaho College, and students in Twin Falls, Gooding, Filer, and Jerome are close to the College of Southern Idaho.

In-State/Out of State Patterns

Following is a chart showing in-state and out-of-state patterns in large Idaho school districts. Just over 3/4 of Idaho graduates who go on to college attend in-state institutions of higher learning.



The highest percentages of in-state college attendance are in Fremont County (eastern Idaho), Homedale, and Filer. Fremont and Filer make sense (see above). Homedale Superintendent Rob Sauer indicated that there's a long-standing tradition among Homedale students of attending the University of Idaho.

Among the lowest percentages of in-state attendance are in Payette, Fruitland, and Weiser. Fruitland Superintendent Teresa Fabricius indicated that, for many Fruitland graduates, the proximity of Fruitland to the border makes Treasure Valley Community College a logical destination.

Advanced Placement in Idaho Schools

Advanced Placement classes are rigorous, college-level classes taught by certified high school teachers and audited by the College Board. The vast majority of colleges and universities offer credit and/or waivers for particular scores on Advanced Placement exams, and the College Board maintains a site where students and parents can see AP credit policies of each college/university. Each of Boise's traditional high schools offers at least 23 Advanced Placement courses.

AP exams are administered in the first two weeks of May each school year. They are scored in a central location by teachers using a rubric provided by the College Board. The AP exam scoring scale is 1-5, with scores of 3, 4, and 5 considered as eligible for college credit for the course.

Here is the distribution of AP exams taken by students in districts across the state of Idaho.



With just over 9% of Idaho's student population, Boise students took over a third of the state AP exams in 2012-13. Meridian and Boise students took over half of the state exams. Here are the largest number of exams given in Idaho districts.



However, since Boise and Meridian are the largest districts in the state, the charts above do not accurately reflect participation rates. Since juniors and seniors take most of the AP exams, here is a chart showing the highest rates of AP participation among juniors and seniors across the state.




When viewed in terms of junior and senior participation, McCall and Blaine County, two relatively small Idaho districts, have the highest rates, along with Boise. Five other districts are above 20% participation.

Finally, what about the percentage of exams taken across in the state that are eligible for college credit? Madison and Sandpoint had the highest passing percentages in 2012-13. Sandpoint gave 156 exams, and Madison 117.

AVID - Helping College Dreams Come True

In 2006, the Boise District initiated a pilot of a program called Advancement Via Individual Determination - AVID - at Fairmont Junior High School. AVID is a college preparation program which started in San Diego in 1980, with the express purpose of preparing students from the "forgotten middle" - kids who might not otherwise attend college - for post-secondary opportunities.

In the AVID Program, students are identified in elementary school as having potential to go on to college, and provided with organizational and study skills, and with a belief that they can, oftentimes, be the first in their family to pursue college studies. Then, beginning in 7th grade, these students are enrolled in Accelerated Math, Reading, and English classes, and in a supporting AVID elective class during the school day. Tutors, usually from Boise State University, provide help during the AVID period with math and language arts, and students use critical reading and questioning techniques to develop skills in presenting their work and asking questions.

From its beginnings at Fairmont, AVID has expanded across the Boise District, and is now in place at each one of Boise's 8 junior high schools and 5 high schools. The chart below illustrates the growth of AVID in the Boise District.

Three AVID classes have graduated from Boise District high schools. Of 124 AVID grads, 101 (81%) enrolled in college the semester after high school graduation. 96 (77%) are still enrolled in college. The "Direct to College" rate for the Boise District class of 2013 was 60%; the statewide rate in 2010 was 45%.

Here is a pie chart showing where AVID grads are going to school.

Most AVID grads attend in-state colleges; however, among the "other" destinations are Northwest Nazarene University, Pepperdine University, Baylor University, Seattle University, and Northern Arizona University.

Three other Idaho districts are participating in AVID. Vallivue District in Caldwell is in its third year, and Mt. Home and Emmett Districts are in the initial phases of AVID implementation.

Here is a great video about the AVID program in Boise, and a powerpoint presentation about the history of Boise's AVID program can be found under "Current Highlights and Events".

Boise District Students' College Destinations

With the help of National Student Clearinghouse data, we have been able to track Boise District hs graduates' college progress much more accurately, beginning with the high school graduating class of 2007. We know that we have made consistent progress in increasing the college-going rate of our grads.



Boise District "Direct to College" rates have increased from 53% to 60% since 2007. Latest data from the Higher Ed Information website show that between 2008 and 2010, the college-going rate for Idaho actually dropped from 49% to 45%.

Sixty-seven (67%) of Class of 2013 students who went directly to college the fall after high school graduation went to in-state colleges; 33% went out of state. The most popular destinations for the class of 2013 were BSU (29%), CWI (16%), and the University of Idaho (12%).



Class of 2013 students enrolled in colleges in 35 states and the District of Columbia. The most popular out-of-state colleges were the University of Utah (25), Brigham Young University and Utah State University (16), and Montana State University (13).

Just to give you an idea of the far-and-away travels of our students, here are some colleges attended by class of 2013 grads: Tufts (MA), 2, Cal-Berkeley, 2, Oberlin (OH), 3, Penn, 2, Baylor, 2, Santa Clara, 3, Brown (RI), 1, Duke, (NC), 1, Harvard (MA), 1, MIT, 1, Georgetown (DC), 1, Stanford, 2, Puget Sound, WA, 2, Nebraska, 2, Furman, (SC), 2, NYU, 3, Colorado, 3, Washington, 3, Alaska-Fairbanks, 1, and BYU-Hawaii, 4. Aloha!

The SAT and College Readiness

Where do Idaho's high schools currently stand in terms of college readiness? The SAT, paid for by the state of Idaho and administered annually to 11th graders across the state, provides some answers.

Several years ago, the Idaho State Department of Education set "cut" scores for the subtests of the SAT to indicate whether or not a student was deemed "college prepared". The College Board, parent organization for the SAT, recommends that a score of 500 on each of the Critical Reading, Math, and Writing subtests equates to preparedness in that area, and that a composite score of 1550 shows overall preparedness for college.

The SAT reports for Idaho school districts and high schools are here. We took those reports, added free/reduced lunch information, and created scattergrams for "large" high schools (tested more than 50 students) in the state.

Here's the math chart, for example:



The x-axis on this chart is the percentage of free/reduced students at the high school (we used 10th grade 2013 free/reduced, because 11th grade data were not available. The y-axis is percentage of 11th graders scoring above 500 on the SAT math subtest. We also included a best-fit line for the data. So, for example, Eagle High School, with about 15% free/reduced, had 46% of its juniors scoring above 500 on the SAT.

Note that there exists a substantial gap between the highest and lowest performing high schools. Renaissance, Meridian's magnet high school, and Boise High have over 60% of juniors scoring above 500 in math. Several high schools have 15% or fewer.

A factor not considered in this chart is the number of Limited English students at each high school. For example, Borah High School has the largest number of Limited English students in the state of Idaho, which naturally affects overall performance on an exam such as the SAT.

In February, 2013, Southern Idaho Superintendents recommended to the Governor's Task Force that the state require each high school and district to set goals for improving college readiness, based on their standing on each SAT subtest. We know where we stand in college readiness; the above chart illustrates the urgency of moving forward in preparing Idaho's students.

Here's a more detailed presentation about the SAT and the information it provides.