COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -
More and more South Carolina high school students are participating in Advanced Placement programs, but their scores on the SAT have fallen.
The South Carolina Department of Education announced the results Monday.
The scores show students improved their performance on college level Advance Placement exams. They also show more students than ever before took the exams that grant college credit for coursework.
The percentage of students receiving a score of 3, 4, or 5 increased by about 9% percent during the 2011-2012 school year.
Participation rates among students increased by about 14%, which is more than double the national growth rate of 6.4%.
"While AP scores are not an accurate indicator of school performance, the success of these individual students is a noteworthy accomplishment," said State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais.
But statistics released by the College Board show the state's SAT scores declined for a second year.
The average SAT composite score for all South Carolina graduating seniors was 1431, down five points. The national average dropped two points to an average score of 1498.
In South Carolina, the average reading score was 481, math was 488, and writing was 462. The national average was 496 for reading, 514 for math, and 488 for writing.
"Addressing the reading gap in elementary school must be our top priority because reading is fundamental to everything else in a student's education," said Zais. "If students cannot read, they will not succeed in school."
Copyright 2012 WIS. All rights reserved.
