State stagnant on SAT stats

State officials are touting the fact that SAT scores for Georgia this year did not drop as badly as the national average. But some say not getting better is no reason to celebrate.

And, while Georgia may not be bringing up the rear when it comes to SAT scores, the state remains in the same position it did in 2006 - 46th nationwide. That’s according to The College Board, which has just released its annual rankings.

Statewide, scores dropped five points from 2006, while nationwide scores dropped 11 points.

Not losing ground is little consolation for Steve Dolinger, head of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. “Being stagnant is not where we want to be. We started this race behind some other states, and it’s really a concern to us when we see other states. That really (is) a dire picture for us.”

One bright spot among 2006 SAT figures … scores for students of color improved. African Americans outscored the national average by five points in both the reading and writing portions of the exam. While, Georgia’s Hispanic students beat the national median by an average 20 points in reading, writing and mathematics.