State SAT score rankings are misleading

Student reporter Sarah Rabil at The Daily Tar Heel analyzed state SAT rankings to take into consideration the impact of poverty and participation on these rankings. "An analysis by The Daily Tar Heel shows that the percentage of students taking the SAT in a given state dramatically affects a state's average score. Poverty levels also are an indicator of a state's average performance on the test, the analysis shows. After taking out the effect that poverty and participation have on each state's score, North Carolina ranks 16th in the nation - a jump of 22 positions from its unadjusted 2006 ranking." Included is a graphic showing state rankings with both adjusted and unadjusted scores.