College-Bound Seniors 2011

Sept. 2011

Southwestern News

In the Southwestern Region, Texas reported the largest and most diverse group of college-bound seniors to take the SAT® in the state’s history. With more than 165,000 Texas students participating in the college-going process by taking the SAT, 57 percent of whom were minority students, the 2011 senior class once again broke previous state records.

Texas has seen a steady increase in SAT participation since 2007, and experienced a significant bump this year because of the Texas Education Agency’s initiative to fund college entrance exams for public, charter and home-schooled students in the class of 2011. This effort brought many more students into the testing process. This work, combined with Texas’s consistent, ongoing efforts to increase access to college, has increased student participation.

Texas SAT takers in the class of 2011 also reflected the state’s diversity, with minority participation in the SAT at an all-time high of 57 percent, up 10 percentage points since 2007. Thirty percent of all Texas SAT takers reported their parents’ highest level of education as a high school diploma or less, and 44 percent of all Texas SAT takers reported that English was not exclusively their first language.

New Mexico also reported the most diverse group of graduating seniors in state history participating in the college-going process by taking the SAT. Of the state’s college-bound seniors in the class of 2011 who took the SAT, 44 percent were minority students, up from 38 percent in 2007. In addition, the number of SAT takers in the New Mexico class of 2011 increased 5 percent over that of the class of 2010. Among the New Mexico class of 2011, SAT takers who reported completing a core curriculum outperformed their peers by an average of 140 points on their combined SAT score.

SAT participation grew in three of the four Southwestern states, consistent with the nationwide SAT participation rate, which is higher than ever before. Data confirm that completing a core curriculum, enrolling in honors and AP® courses, and taking SAT Subject Tests™ in science and math subjects enhance student performance on the SAT. Students in the high school graduating class of 2011 who reported completing a core curriculum received a combined SAT score that was, on average, 143 points higher than those who did not complete a core curriculum.