News Release
For Immediate Release: September 27, 2016
Contact: Charles Pyle, Director of Communications, 804-371-2420
Virginia Students Outperform Nation on SAT
Performance in Reading Improves, Mathematics Steady
Virginia public school graduates in 2016 continued to buck a multiyear, nationwide trend of sharply lower achievement on the SAT college-admissions test.
The College Board, which publishes the SAT, reported today that the average scores for public school graduates in the commonwealth rose by one point in reading, held steady in mathematics, and fell one point in writing. Nationwide, achievement declined in all three subjects on the SAT.
Sixty-five percent of Virginia’s 2016 public school graduates took the SAT, which is, by far, the predominant admissions test in Virginia, and therefore is a key indicator of the effectiveness of schools in preparing students for the first year of college.
“With the redesign of the SAT this year, the performance of Virginia’s 2016 graduating seniors caps a decade-long trend of increased achievement,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven R. Staples said. “The challenge now as the commonwealth revises its diploma standards is to maintain strong academic performance while expanding the high school experience to include the 21st-century skills demanded by today’s employers.”
The commonwealth’s public school graduates outscored their nationwide peers on all three subsections of the college-admissions test:
- Virginia’s public school mean score in reading of 516 was 29 points higher.
- Virginia’s public school mean score in mathematics of 513 was 19 points higher.
- Virginia’s public school mean score in writing of 493 was 21 points higher.

Chart comparing mean SAT reading scores of Virginia public school students with those of public school students nationwide.
In 2016, the mean reading score for Virginia public school students was 516 and the mean reading score for public school students nationwide was 489.
In 2015, the mean reading score for Virginia public school students was 515 and the mean reading score for public school students nationwide was 489.
In 2014, the mean reading score for Virginia public school students was 515 and the mean reading score for public school students nationwide was 492.
In 2013, the mean reading score for Virginia public school students was 512 and the mean reading score for public school students nationwide was 492.
In 2012, the mean reading score for Virginia public school students was 508 and the mean reading score for public school students nationwide was 491.

Chart comparing mean SAT mathematics scores of Virginia public school students with those of public school students nationwide.
In 2016, the mean mathematics score for Virginia public school students was 513 and the mean mathematics score for public school students nationwide was 494.
In 2015, the mean mathematics score for Virginia public school students was 513 and the mean mathematics score for public school students nationwide was 498.
In 2014, the mean mathematics score for Virginia public school students was 512 and the mean mathematics score for public school students nationwide was 501.
In 2013, the mean mathematics score for Virginia public school students was 511 and the mean mathematics score for public school students nationwide was 503.
In 2012, the mean mathematics score for Virginia public school students was 510 and the mean mathematics score for public school students nationwide was 505.
Of the 2016 Virginia public school graduates who took the SAT, 45.2 percent achieved the College Board’s benchmark for college readiness. The benchmark score of 1550 (critical reading, mathematics and writing sections combined) indicates a 65-percent likelihood of achieving a B-grade-point average or higher during the first year of college. Nationwide, 37.3 percent of SAT takers met the readiness standard.
“While the overall performance of Virginia students compares favorably with that of their nationwide peers, the wide achievement gaps visible when we dig deeper into the data remind us that outcomes are not improving for far too many students of color,” Board of Education President Billy K. Cannaday Jr. said. “Narrowing and ultimately closing these gaps is the state board’s top priority.”

Chart comparing mean SAT writing scores of Virginia public school students with those of public school students nationwide.
In 2016, the mean writing score for Virginia public school students was 49493 and the mean writing score for public school students nationwide was 472.
In 2015, the mean writing score for Virginia public school students was 495 and the mean writing score for public school students nationwide was 475.
In 2014, the mean writing score for Virginia public school students was 493 and the mean writing score for public school students nationwide was 478.
In 2013, the mean writing score for Virginia public school students was 494 and the mean writing score for public school students nationwide was 480.
In 2012, the mean writing score for Virginia public school students was 492 and the mean writing score for public school students nationwide was 481.

Chart showing the percent of Virginia public school students meeting college-readiness benchmarks in 2016
64.5 percent of Asian Virginia public school graduates met the SAT college-readiness benchmark
14.6 percent of black Virginia public school graduates met the SAT college-readiness benchmark
34.2 percent of Hispanic Virginia public school graduates met the SAT college-readiness benchmark
55.6 percent of white Virginia public school graduates met the SAT college readiness benchmark
45.2 percent of Virginia public school graduates met the SAT college readiness benchmark
The achievement gaps between student subgroups are also reflected in their mean scores.
2016 SAT Virginia Public School Mean Scores |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Group |
Critical Reading |
Mathematics |
Writing |
|||
Virginia |
Nation |
Virginia |
Nation |
Virginia |
Nation |
|
All Public School Students |
516 |
487 |
513 |
494 |
493 |
472 |
Asian |
555 |
530 |
590 |
575 |
545 |
526 |
Black |
439 |
423 |
431 |
419 |
418 |
408 |
Hispanic |
494 |
441 |
489 |
446 |
470 |
429 |
White |
542 |
524 |
537 |
528 |
516 |
505 |
The “2016 SAT Virginia All-Student Mean Scores” table includes the performance of private, parochial and home-schooled students.
2016 SAT Virginia All-Student Mean Scores |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Group |
Critical Reading |
Mathematics |
Writing |
|||
Virginia |
Nation |
Virginia |
Nation |
Virginia |
Nation |
|
All Students |
520 |
494 |
517 |
508 |
498 |
482 |
Asian |
551 |
529 |
594 |
602 |
544 |
534 |
Black |
442 |
430 |
433 |
425 |
420 |
415 |
Hispanic |
498 |
448 |
492 |
453 |
475 |
436 |
White |
545 |
528 |
538 |
533 |
520 |
511 |
The College Board also reported today that 2016 Virginia public school graduates took 140,170 Advanced Placement (AP) examinations. Of those tests, 62.6 percent earned a grade of 3 or higher, the generally accepted benchmark for college credit.
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