College Board's Math Doesn't Add Up -- Drop in Test Retaking Doesn't Explain SAT Score Decline

[Bob Schaeffer <bobschaeffer@earthlink.net>]

At last week's news conference announcing annual SAT scores, the College 
Board issued a news release stating, "Much of the score difference this 
year can be attributed to this decline in the number of students 
retaking the test and gaining the advantage of a score increase."

That message was repeatedly echoed in published comments from Gaston 
Caperton, Wayne Camara, Caren Scoropanos and other senior College Board 
officials.

These statements are all demonstrably false.

This morning, College Board President Gaston Caperton received a letter 
from FairTest, which uses basic math to show that the reduction in the 
number of students taking the test multiple times does not account for 
even one point of this year's SAT score decline, let alone seven. You 
can check out the argument at:
                                       
                
http://www.fairtest.org/univ/Score_Release_2006/Caperton_lttr_release.html

Once again, it appears that the College Board has failed to give 
counselors, admissions officers, the media and test-takers accurate 
information about serious problems with scores from the "new" SAT.

The real reasons for this year's SAT score decline have yet to be 
credibly explained.

Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director
FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing