2007 saw the most diverse group of SAT takers yet, according to a recent College Board survey. Of the nearly 1.5 million students who took the SAT last academic year, minority students comprised thirty-nine percent. More than in any previous year, African-American, Asian-American, and Hispanic students turned out to take the test, Hispanic students representing the largest and fastest growing minority group. Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board, commented on the encouraging statistics. “The record number of students, coupled with the diversity of SAT takers in the class of 2007, means that an increasing number of students in this country are recognizing the importance of a college education and are taking the steps necessary to get there.”

Average scores in critical reading are down by only one point since 2006, though average mathematics and writing scores are down three points each. As 2007 is only the second year of scores for the writing section on the SAT, it is too soon to identify a long-term trend. Of the students taking the test, the sixty-six percent who reported taking English Composition in high school scored twenty-seven points higher than the year’s average writing score. Thanks to the inclusion of the writing section, reports the College Board’s writing survey, sixty-eight percent of teachers surveyed reported “the SAT writing section has been a factor in changing writing priorities, attitudes, and expectations.” Furthermore, seventy-six percent of teachers and eighty-one percent of administrators reported an increased focus on writing in the classroom over the last three years. A full report on the writing survey findings will be published this fall.