Press Release

August 31, 1999

For Immediate Release

SAT SCORES SHOW SLIGHT INCREASE

Denver Public Schools announced today that its 1998-99 Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) combined scores increased slightly from 1043 to 1046.

Scores on the verbal portion of the test increased to 531 from 522 the previous year. The mathematics portion decreased to 515 from 521. The number of students taking the test also declined from 676 to 605.

The SAT is a requirement for admission to many colleges and universities, primarily in the eastern part of the United States.

Bernadette Seick, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education, attributed the increase in the verbal score to district-wide focus on literacy during the past five years. Increased staff development for teachers and a curriculum focused on literacy are paying dividends, she said.

Seick anticipates a similar increase in SAT math scores over the next few years. Two years ago algebra was added as a required course and the math requirement was increased from two to three years.

"I think we'll start to see some payoff on those efforts," Seick said.

The average combined score nationwide for the 1998-1999 school was 1016 while the Colorado average was 1076.