<p>RE: 2008 College-Bound Seniors Total Group Profile Report by CollegeBoard, SAT. Perhaps someone might clarify for me the reported relationships between high school years of study and SAT Reasoning Test Mean Scores. For instance, the Profile Report shows SAT mean score for math is 532 based upon four years of Arts and Music studied in high school. Yet after taking four years of math in high school, the SAT mean score for math is 521. If the Course-Taking Pattern section of the Profile Report is intended to separate the various areas of high school study (e.g. math, arts and music), and report how those study areas independently affect SAT scores, I do not understand how just four years of arts and music study results in higher SAT math score than just four years of math study.</p>
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<p>This isn’t causation. The most likely reason for this trend is that students who attend wealthy schools, those that offer arts programs for four years, score better than those that attend schools whose budget is such that they may have to cancel arts programs. </p>
<p>Virtually every school offers and requires 4 years of math though, and so that average is closer to the national average.</p>
<p>The average SAT math score for the top 30% family income is 545, while the average SAT math score for the bottom 70% family income is 494. Also, there were 220,000 SAT test takers which completed four years of high school arts and music, while there were 774,000 SAT test takers which completed four years of high school math. If I understand Godfatherbob’s point, that 220,000 generally represents students from the top family income tier, attending wealthy schools. I wonder how the high completion of arts and music courses by high family income students might affect their high SAT math scores, while avoiding a statement of (direct?) causation factor.</p>