Howard County outperformed almost every school district in Maryland on the 2003-04 SAT, a college entrance exam, and posted its highest scores ever. But among minority groups, one made significant strides and others suffered losses.
The average score in the county was 540 on the verbal portion of the exam and 554 on the math, for a total of 1094 out of a possible 1600, according to the county school system. But Howard's black students fell far short of those numbers, earning a combined score of 921 on average. That was below the state average for all students, 1026, and represents a 13-point drop from 2002-03. In addition, the average score for the county's Asian students fell 24 points in the current results, from 1174 to 1150.
Howard's Hispanic students, with an average of 1057, earned the second-lowest combined score among racial and ethnic groups. Still, that was a 98-point jump over last year. The county did not release individual school data for Hispanics because the group did not meet a threshold of at least 10 students in any school.
Students typically take the SAT during their junior year of high school. In March, the Educational Testing Service, which develops the test, will unveil a revamped SAT that includes a writing section, higher-level math and more reading passages.
Overall
Asian
African
American
White
Atholton
Tested
Verbal
Mathematics
Composite
206
517
531
1048
15
503
549
1052
39
445
458
903
145
538
549
1088
Centennial
Tested
Verbal
Mathematics
Composite
267
578
598
1176
64
586
654
1240
*
*
*
*
189
580
585
1165
Glenelg
Tested
Verbal
Mathematics
Composite
229
541
552
1092
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
215
539
550
1089
Hammond
Tested
Verbal
Mathematics
Composite
229
529
529
1058
19
526
546
1072
52
462
449
911
154
554
555
1109
Howard
Tested
Verbal
Mathematics
Composite
185
525
532
1057
25
550
630
1180
29
440
426
866
127
538
537
1075
Long Reach
Tested
Verbal
Mathematics
Composite
227
512
533
1045
37
496
577
1073
63
457
464
922
122
545
556
1100
Mount Hebron
Tested
Verbal
Mathematics
Composite
312
545
566
1111
59
515
591
1105
17
488
452
939
231
558
569
1126
Oakland Mills
Tested
Verbal
Mathematics
Composite
166
535
533
1067
11
501
575
1075
38
444
443
887
112
572
565
1137
River Hill
Tested
Verbal
Mathematics
Composite
381
554
578
1132
63
562
639
1201
33
508
502
1010
280
558
574
1132
Wilde Lake
Tested
Verbal
Mathematics
Composite
241
539
551
1090
25
521
584
1105
64
458
457
915
148
576
583
1160
*Groups of fewer than 10. Also, some figures do not add up because of rounding.
Results provided by the Howard County school system, based on scores compiled by the Educational Testing Service for the College Board. The county figures exclude non-public school students and adjust for other discrepancies, such as the inclusion of students by ETS who were not members of the Class of 2004.
Reservoir High opened in 2002 and did not have a graduating class in 2004.