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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2002

The SAT scores of college-bound American Indian and Alaska Native students increased over the past decade, according to statistics released on Tuesday.

Native students showed a 7-point jump on the verbal portion of the test from 1992 to 2002, the College Board, makers of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, reported. A 12-point jump on the math portion was also seen.

The increases were reflective of scores nationwide. A 4-point jump on the verbal test and a 15-point jump on the math section was reported among all college-bound seniors over the past decade.

Other groups of students showed larger gains than college-bound Natives, however. The test scores of Asian-American Puerto Rican and "other" students jumped significantly on the verbal and math portions. White students also fared better on the math portion.

And university officials said they were concerned about a trend that has emerged among all students. While advanced math skills have improved across all ethnic and racial groups, written and verbal studies are dropping, according to statistics.

For example, 35 percent of Native students took pre-calculus in 2002, compared to 23 percent in 1992. About 17 percent studied calculus, compared to 12 percent a decade ago.

But fewer Natives, and other students, are taking English composition and grammar, the College Board reported. Participation in grammar among American Indian and Alaska Natives dropped from 82 percent in 1992 to 65 percent in 2002.

"To succeed in life -- and in a career -- one needs to write clearly and effectively," said C. Peter Magrath, president of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and the head of a new commission that will examine the dropping verbal skills. "Good writing reflects good thinking,"

Of the 1.3 million college-bound seniors who took the SAT, 1 percent were American Indian or Alaska Native. Their average GPA was 3.15, the second lowest among all racial and ethnic groups.

On the verbal test, the average score for Native students was 479, the third highest reported. On the math portion, the average was 483, again the third highest.

Nearly half, 47 percent, of Native students reported they were the first generation in their family to go to college. Of this group, 59 percent were female.

The SAT is typically required for Ivy League and East Coast schools. Universities in the West, which tend to draw more Native students than elsewhere in the country, require the ACT test.

The College Board cautions against comparing SAT scores by state. The state reports provide more detailed information about the scores of Native Americans.

Relevant Documents:
Summary Data | National and State Reports

Relevant Links:
College Board - http://www.collegeboard.com