College Admissions Testing of Graduating Seniors in Texas High

240 Pages·2003·0.85 MB·English

College Admissions Testing
of Graduating Seniors
in Texas High Schools
2000-01

Division of Research and Evaluation
Department of Accountability Reporting and Research
Texas Education Agency
August 2003

College Admissions Testing
of Graduating Seniors
in Texas High Schools
2000-01

Project Staff
Paul R. Gesn
Angie H. Liu
Nelson Loponi

Editorial Staff
Richard Kallus
Vicky A. Killgore
Sue Mutchler

Division of Research and Evaluation
Department of Accountability Reporting and Research
Texas Education Agency
August 2003
Texas Education Agency
Robert Scott, Chief Deputy Commissioner
Office of Finance and Accountability
Ron McMichael, Deputy Commissioner
Department of Accountability Reporting and Research
Criss Cloudt, Associate Commissioner
Division of Research and Evaluation
Karen Dvorak, Senior Director
Additional Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Debra Craig from the College Board and Glen Gullikson from ACT, Inc., for their
kind reviews of this report.
Citation. Texas Education Agency. (2003.) College admissions testing of graduating seniors in
Texas high schools, 2000-01 (Document No. GE03 601 03). Austin, TX: Author.
Abstract. Texas SAT® I and ACT participation and performance in 2000-01 were examined. The
highest number of Texas public school graduates ever—122,417 or 62.9 percent—took either the
SAT I or ACT in 2000-01, up slightly from 62.2 percent in 1999-00. Less than one-third (26.9%) of
all examinees achieved the AEIS criterion score on either test in 2000-01, down from 27.3 percent in
1999-00. Asian American graduates had the highest participation rate at 85.2 percent, followed by
Native American (76.9%) and White graduates (70.0%). Hispanics had the lowest rate, with 46.5
percent of graduates participating in SAT I or ACT testing. A larger proportion of Asian American
examinees (42.8%) met the criterion score than did any other group, while African Americans had the
smallest proportion of examinees (7.4%) who met the criterion score. The percentages of White and
African American SAT I and ACT examinees in public and non-public schools combined were
generally similar in Texas and the nation from 1996 through 2001. During this same time period, the
percentages of Texas Hispanic examinees were about three to four times larger than the percentages
of Hispanic test takers nationally. Mean scores for Texas and the nation remained relatively stable.
Keywords. SAT®, ACT, college admission, testing, acknowledgment, accountability, high school,
scores, research and evaluation, graduate, TASP.
Material in this publication is not copyrighted and may be reproduced. The Texas Education Agency
would appreciate credit for the material used and a copy of the reprint.
Advanced Placement Program®, AP®, Pre-AP®, AP Vertical Teams®, SAT®, and PSAT/NMSQT®,
are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the College Board. Other product and company
names mentioned in this report may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Additional information about this report may be obtained by contacting the Texas Education Agency,
Department of Accountability Reporting and Research, Division of Research and Evaluation by
phone at [phone], by email at [email protected], or via the division website:
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/research/. Copies of the report may be purchased using the order form in
the back of this publication.
For information regarding administration, preparation for, and scoring of the SAT examination,
contact the College Board’s Southwestern Regional Office at [phone] or http://www.
collegeboard.com/. For such information on the ACT Assessment, contact ACT, Inc., Southwest
Region, at [phone] or http://www.act.org/
ii College Admissions Testing of Graduating Seniors in Texas High Schools, 2000-01
Contents
Highlights...............................................................................................................................................1
Texas Public Schools.................................................................................................................2
Texas and the United States......................................................................................................3
Overview................................................................................................................................................5
College Admissions Testing: The SAT I and ACT................................................................................7
General Information..................................................................................................................8
Access to Testing.......................................................................................................................8
Use and Interpretation of SAT I and ACT Scores.....................................................................9
Use of College Entrance Examination Scores in Texas..........................................................11
Data Sources and Reporting Information.............................................................................................13
Public and Non-Public Schools...............................................................................................14
Test Data.................................................................................................................................14
Data Sources............................................................................................................................14
Results for Texas Public Schools.........................................................................................................17
Academic Excellence Indicator System Measures .................................................................18
SAT I ......................................................................................................................................22
ACT ........................................................................................................................................28
Results for Texas and the Nation..........................................................................................................35
Texas and the United States: SAT I........................................................................................36
Texas and the United States: ACT..........................................................................................40
Texas and Other States: SAT I and ACT.................................................................................45
Appendix A. Supplemental Tables......................................................................................................49
Appendix B. District and Campus Listings by County.......................................................................57
Notes on Appendix B............................................................................................................209
Appendix C. College Admissions Examinations by District Characteristic.....................................211
Notes on Appendix C............................................................................................................216
Texas Education Agency District Analyze Category Descriptions, 2000-01........................217
References..........................................................................................................................................223
List of Tables
Table 1. Levels of Data Reporting...............................................................................................15
Table 2. SAT I and/or ACT Participation Rates, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity and
Gender, Texas Public Schools, 2000-01........................................................................18
College Admissions Testing of Graduating Seniors in Texas High Schools, 2000-01 iii
Table 3. SAT I and/or ACT Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity and Gender,
Texas Public Schools, 2000-01......................................................................................20
Table 4. SAT I Participation Rates and Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity and
Gender, Texas Public Schools, 2000-01........................................................................22
Table 5. SAT I Participation Rates, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity and Gender, Texas
Public Schools, 1995-96 Through 2000-01...................................................................23
Table 6. SAT I Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity and Gender, Texas Public
Schools, 1995-96 Through 2000-01...............................................................................25
Table 7. ACT Participation Rates and Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity and
Gender, Texas Public Schools, 2000-01........................................................................28
Table 8. ACT Participation Rates, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity and Gender, Texas
Public Schools, 1995-96 Through 2000-01...................................................................29
Table 9. ACT Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity and Gender, Texas Public
Schools, 1995-96 Through 2000-01...............................................................................31
Table 10. SAT I Participation Rates, Graduating Seniors, Texas and the Nation, 1995-96
Through 2000-01...........................................................................................................36
Table 11. SAT I Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity, Texas and the Nation,
1995-96 Through 2000-01.............................................................................................37
Table 12. SAT I Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Gender, Texas and the Nation,
1995-96 Through 2000-01.............................................................................................38
Table 13. SAT I Participation, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity, Texas and the Nation,
1995-96 Through 2000-01.............................................................................................39
Table 14. SAT I Participation, Graduating Seniors, by Gender, Texas and the Nation,
1995-96 Through 2000-01.............................................................................................39
Table 15. ACT Participation Rates, Graduating Seniors, Texas and the Nation, 1995-96
Through 2000-01...........................................................................................................40
Table 16. ACT Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity, Texas and the Nation,
1995-96 Through 2000-01.............................................................................................42
Table 17. ACT Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Gender, Texas and the Nation,
1995-96 Through 2000-01.............................................................................................43
Table 18. ACT Participation, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity, Texas and the Nation,
1995-96 Through 2000-01.............................................................................................44
Table 19. ACT Participation, Graduating Seniors, by Gender, Texas and the Nation,
1995-96 Through 2000-01.............................................................................................44
Table 20. SAT I Participation and Performance, Graduating Seniors, by State, 2000-01.............46
Table 21. ACT Participation and Performance, Graduating Seniors, by State, 2000-01...............48
Table A-1. SAT I Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity, Texas and the Nation,
1986-87 Through 2000-01.............................................................................................50
Table A-2. ACT Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity, Texas and the Nation,
1986-87 Through 2000-01.............................................................................................52
iv College Admissions Testing of Graduating Seniors in Texas High Schools, 2000-01
Table A-3. SAT I and ACT Participation, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity, Texas and the
Nation, 1986-87 Through 2000-01................................................................................55
List of Figures
Figure 1. Relationship Between SAT I Participation Rates and SAT I Mathematics
Performance Across States, 2000-01.............................................................................11
Figure 2. SAT I and/or ACT Participation Rates, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity and
Gender, Texas Public Schools, 1990-91 Through 2000-01...........................................19
Figure 3. SAT I and/or ACT Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity and Gender,
Texas Public Schools, 1990-91 Through 2000-01........................................................21
Figure 4. SAT I Total Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity, Texas Public Schools,
1995-96 Through 2000-01.............................................................................................24
Figure 5. SAT I Mathematics Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Gender, Texas Public
Schools, 1995-96 Through 2000-01..............................................................................26
Figure 6. Comparison of Graduating Seniors and SAT I Examinees, by Ethnicity and Gender,
Texas Public Schools, 2000-01.....................................................................................27
Figure 7. ACT Composite Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Ethnicity, Texas Public
Schools, 1995-96 Through 2000-01..............................................................................30
Figure 8. ACT English Performance, Graduating Seniors, by Gender, Texas Public Schools,
1995-96 Through 2000-01.............................................................................................32
Figure 9. Comparison of Graduating Seniors and ACT Examinees, by Ethnicity and Gender,
Texas Public Schools, 2000-01.....................................................................................33
College Admissions Testing of Graduating Seniors in Texas High Schools, 2000-01 v
vi College Admissions Testing of Graduating Seniors in Texas High Schools, 2000-01
Highlights
Texas Public Schools
Texas and the United States
College Admissions Testing of Graduating Seniors in Texas High Schools, 2000-01 1
Texas Public Schools
Academic Excellence Indicator System Measures
Participation
• In 2000-01, a total of 122,417 Texas public high school graduates took either the SAT I or
ACT. This was up from 120,077 graduates in 1999-00. The number of examinees in 2000-01
reflects an overall participation rate of 62.9 percent.
• Asian/Pacific Islanders had the highest participation rate at 85.2 percent, and Hispanics had
the lowest participation rate at 46.5 percent.
Performance
• In 2000-01, only 26.9 percent of all examinees achieved the criterion score on either the SAT
I or ACT. In 1999-00, 27.3 percent of examinees met the criterion.
• A larger proportion of Asian/Pacific Islander examinees met the criterion scores (42.8%) than
did any other group. African Americans had the smallest proportion of examinees who met
the criterion scores (7.4%).
SAT I
Participation
• In the 2000-01 school year, 98,336 public high school graduates took the SAT I examination.
This represents a slight increase in participation rate (50.6%) from the previous year (50.0%
in 1999-00).
• The participation rates in SAT I testing by ethnicity were 77.6 percent of Asian/Pacific
Islander graduates, 48.5 percent of White graduates, 44.0 percent of African American
graduates, and 32.7 percent of Hispanic graduates.
Performance
• The average SAT I Total score in 2000-01 was 987, down from 990 in 1999-00.
• In 2000-01, Asian/Pacific Islander examinees obtained the highest average SAT I score at
1069, and African American examinees obtained the lowest average SAT I score at 846.
2 College Admissions Testing of Graduating Seniors in Texas High Schools, 2000-01