Minority students lower on SAT, but more students taking test

“At the student level, regardless of race, we are encouraging them to take the SAT,” said Greg Bricca, director of research and accountability for Carroll County Public Schools.

“Some never consider taking it, because they don?t think they are college-bound.”

White students in Carroll County scored an average total of 1,540 on the critical reading, math and writing tests while their black counterparts averaged1,404 and Hispanic students scored an average of 1,479. Asian students scored the highest among minority students with an average of 1,529, according to the SAT scores released by the county Aug. 29. But the numbers can be deceiving, Bricca said. The smaller the group, the more variable the scores can be, he said.

The population of Carroll County is 95.1 percent white, 2.9 percent black, 1.4 percent Hispanic and 1.2 percent Asian, according to 2004 U.S. Census Bureau data.

The comparison between races becomes further complicated because the county tallies the groups based on the race students identified with on the test, Bricca said. Often those numbers don?t correspond with the school?s records.

More important for the school system is the number of students taking the test, Bricca said. Higher numbers of test takers indicate that more students are considering a four-year college, he said.

For example, more black students took the test in 2006 than ever before, with 28 taking the critical reading and math sections. This is up from 15 in 2005 and 14 four years ago. Similarly, 16 Hispanic or Latin American students took the tests, compared with only seven in 2003.

In an effort to boost the number of minorities taking the test, the school system is hosting a series of family forums for minorities over the next two months, said Karen Ganjon, director of minority achievement. These will address taking the SATs and finding funding to pay for the test.

“If we know we want more minorities taking the SATs and scoring higher, we first of all have to engage their parents,” Ganjon said.

2006 SAT scores – averages

Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of students who took the test.

Critical reading scores

Carroll County

» White (1,190 ) 512

» Asian (23) 493

» Hispanic (16) 493

» American Indian (9) 467

» Black (28) 455

Maryland

» White (23,380) 539

» Asian (3,255) 528

» Hispanic (1,361) 485

» American Indian (222) 470

» Black (10,834) 430

Nation

» White (825,921) 527

» Asian (138,303) 510

» Hispanic (68,734) 458

» American Indian (9,301) 487

» Black (150,643) 434

Math scores

Carroll County

» White 522

» Asian 543

» Hispanic 512

» American Indian 462

» Black 483

Maryland

» White 548

» Asian 585

» Hispanic 488

» American Indian 474

» Black 418

Nation

» White 536

» Asian 578

» Hispanic 463

» American Indian 494

» Black 429

Writing

Carroll County

» White 506

» Asian 493

» Hispanic 474

» American Indian 490

» Black 466

Maryland

» White 535

» Asian 533

» Hispanic 479

» American Indian 472

» Black 427

Nation

» White 519

» Asian 512

» Hispanic 450

» American Indian 474

» Black 428

Total

Carroll County

» White 1,540

» Asian 1,529

» Hispanic 1,479

» American Indian 1,419

» Black 1,404

Maryland

» White 1,622

» Asian 1,646

» Hispanic 1,452

» American Indian 1,416

» Black 1,275

Nation

» White 1,582

» Asian 1,600

» Hispanic 1,371

» American Indian 1,455

» Black 1,391

SOURCE: Carroll County Public Schools

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