Higher SAT scores in the Midwest:

Is the US-Midwest smarter than the rest

of the USA?

National Center for Educational Statistics Data Project

2008-2010 NCES Data

Charlie Au – Nov 2012

Survey of NCES Data on Composite SAT scores reported

Midwest composite SAT Scores are

~ 100 – 300 points higher than

the rest of the country!

Midwest SAT scores are 100-300 points higher than the rest of the country!

What questions this presentation

will answer:

Why does the Midwest score higher than the

other states?

◦ Does Smaller Class Size matter?

Are there biases in reporting of SAT Scores?

2010 NCES Data - Class Size and SAT Score in 50 states +

DC

No correlation between

class size and SAT Score!

Source: 2010 – National Center for Education Statistics

2010 NCES Data - Class Size and SAT Score in 50 states +

DC

No correlation between

class size and SAT Score!

Source: 2010 – National Center for Education Statistics

No correlation between

class size and SAT Score!

Source: 2009 – National Center for Education Statistics

2009 NCES Data - Class Size and SAT Score in 50 states +

DC

1,300

1,400

1,500

1,600

1,700

1,800

10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0

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osi

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Avg. Class Size

Source: 2009 – National Center for Education Statistics

2009 NCES Data - Class Size and SAT Score in 50 states +

DC

1,300

1,400

1,500

1,600

1,700

1,800

10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0

Co

mp

osi

te S

AT

Sco

re

Avg. Class Size

No correlation between

class size and SAT Score!

- 3 years worth of data that do not show any

correlation between class size and SAT score.

Source: 2008 – National Center for Education Statistics

1300

1400

1500

1600

1700

1800

10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0

Co

mp

osi

te S

AT

Sco

re

Avg. Class Size

2008 NCES Data - Class Size and SAT Score in 50 states +

DC

- 3 years worth of data that do not show any

correlation between class size and SAT score.

Source: 2008 – National Center for Education Statistics

1300

1400

1500

1600

1700

1800

10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0

Co

mp

osi

te S

AT

Sco

re

Avg. Class Size

No correlation between

class size and SAT Score!

2008 NCES Data - Class Size and SAT Score in 50 states +

DC

No correlation between class size and

higher SAT scores in any of the 50 states

(and D.C.)

Clip: Gamey

Let’s talk “SAT Participation”

In some states, taking the SAT is highly

encouraged or mandatory for High

School Graduates

In other states, the SAT is only taken by

college-bound students

State SAT participation of HS Grads

There’s an obvious disparity between

higher scoring states and lower scoring

states

Higher state average SAT scores are

highly correlated with the percentage of

high school graduates that take the

SAT in that state

Let’s talk “SAT Participation”

*Data points represented by

the shapes of US States

% of high school grads taking the SAT

% of H.S.Graduates taking the SAT

Avg. Composite SAT Scores

Avg. Composite SAT score

Midwest states have the least students

taking the SAT 2010 Percentages of

High School Grads

taking the SAT

2010 Composite SAT

scores

Source: 2010 – National Center for Education Statistics:

Who is being reported in

each state?

• Non-

college

bound +

• College

bound

students

• Mostly

college

bound

students

Reporting Bias in Midwest SAT

scores We can conclude that states with higher

reported SAT scores are higher because they

report fewer scores from students not

interested in attending college.

Photos: blogspot and flickr

Data taken from the

National Center for Education

Statistics SAT Scores and Percentage of Graduates

taking the SAT, by State: (1995-2011)

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d11/ta

bles/dt11_156.asp

Student to Teacher ratio, by State (2008-

2010)

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d12/ta

bles/dt12_078.asp

All data and visualizations made with the

help of Excel, Access, and Tableau 8.0

For further reading:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonk

blog/wp/2014/03/05/these-four-charts-

show-how-the-sat-favors-the-rich-educated-

families/