Higher SAT Score Relates to the Rigorous Curriculum
According to the College Board, more college-bound students in the class of 2010 took the SAT than in any other high school graduating class in history, the College Board announced today. Nearly 1.6 million students of the graduating class participated in the college-going process by taking the SAT, and their overall performance underscored the critical role that course-taking patterns and academic rigor play in college readiness.
“Engaging students with more rigorous course work and demanding higher standards are critical in providing America’s students with an education that will prepare them to compete in the 21st-century economy,” said College Board President Gaston Caperton. “This report confirms that there are no tricks and there are no shortcuts to college readiness. Students who take more rigorous courses in high school are more prepared to succeed in college and beyond.”
Students in the class of 2010 who reported completing a core curriculum — defined as four or more years of English, three or more years of mathematics, three or more years of natural science, and three or more years of social science and history — scored, on average, 151 points higher on the SAT than those who did not complete a core curriculum.
| All SAT Takers | |||
| Critical Reading | Mathematics | Writing | |
| Core Curriculum | 518 | 531 | 509 |
| Non-Core Curriculum | 467 | 481 | 459 |
| Difference | +51 | +50 | +50 |
