Wash. SAT scores hold steady for class of 2008

Washington high school students in the class of 2008 did about as well on the SAT college entrance exam as their classmates from the year before, but the scores released Tuesday were well above the national average.

According to The College Board, the average SAT scores in Washington for 2008 were 526 in reading, 533 in math and 509 in writing. In 2007, the state's average SAT scores were similar: 526 in reading, 531 in math and 510 in writing.

The national SAT averages, which also held steady, were 502, 515 and 494, respectively. A perfect score is 2400, or 800 points in each of the test's three sections.

Figures released earlier this month on the rival ACT college entrance exam showed an increase - from 21.2 to 23.1, on a scale of 1 to 36 - for the Washington class of 2008. For the fifth year in a row, Washington students scored near the top in the nation on the ACT, following only Massachusetts and Connecticut in the state-by-state rankings.

The SAT test is the most popular choice among Washington students who hope to go to college. More than half of the state's class of 2008, or 36,306 students, took the SAT exam, mostly in their junior or senior years. About 17 percent of Washington students take the ACT.

Washington students who scored best on the SAT had parents with college degrees and higher family incomes.

SAT scores do not give a statewide picture of how Washington high school students are doing, because only a little more than half of each graduating class takes the college entrance exam. But state schools chief Terry Bergeson said the SAT measures how college-ready the top students are.

"Our scores, compared to the rest of the nation, speak volumes about the quality of education students in this state are receiving," Bergeson said.

For the sixth consecutive year, Washington state SAT averages were the highest in the nation among states in which more than half the eligible students took the tests.

Washington boys on average scored a few points higher than girls on the reading test and more than a few points higher on math - 552 vs. 517 - but girls did better in writing.

According to The College Board, Washington students are most likely to have their SAT scores sent to in-state schools, with the most popular choices the University of Washington and Washington State University. The most-often-requested private schools were Seattle University and Gonzaga.