Howard County Class of 2017 Excels on SAT, ACT

September 27th, 2017

Students in the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) continue to excel in performance on the SAT and ACT, two widely accepted measures of college readiness. Scores released by ACT and the College Board, which implements the SAT, indicate HCPSS students are outperforming state and national peers on both tests.

“SAT and ACT scores are valuable tools in indicating student achievement and college and career readiness,” said Interim Superintendent Michael J. Martirano. “As we move forward with our call to action to learn and lead with equity and ensure success for every child, these and other indicators can help us build an instructional program that enables each and every student to reach their greatest potential.”

The mean composite score on the new SAT was 1161 for the HCPSS Class of 2017 with subtest mean scores of 581 in evidence-based reading and writing (ERW), and 580 in mathematics. HCPSS scores significantly outpace the Maryland public school averages of 1046 composite, 528 in ERW and 518 in math, as well as the national public school averages of 1044, 527 and 517, respectively.

The SAT underwent significant revisions in March 2016; thus, scores reflect only testing among students taking the new SAT, and are not comparable with prior year results.

ACT results also show HCPSS students outpacing their peers in Maryland and the nation. The mean composite score for the Class of 2017 was 25.8, with mean scores in test categories of reading, 26.1; math, 25.9; English, 25.6; and science, 25.2. In comparison, scores at the state and national level, respectively, were composite, 23.4 and 21.0; reading, 23.9 and 21.4; math, 23.1 and 20.7; English, 22.8 and 20.3; and science, 23.1 and 21.0.

HCPSS will release a comprehensive report on Class of 2017 SAT and ACT participation and performance at the Board of Education meeting on October 17, 2017.