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FCTA Query/Response to FCPS on Falling SAT Scores - 02/17/2023

From: FCPS Chief Academic Officer Dr. Sloan Presidio to FCTA

Dear Fairfax County Taxpayer Alliance Members,

Thank you for your interest in FCPS student SAT performance trends. You are correct that a review of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) outcomes on SAT exams over the past 5 years, as reported in the October 5, 2023, FCPS News article illustrates a decline in mean scores since 2018. However, the total mean score in FCPS (1185) continues to exceed that in Virginia (1124) and globally (1050).

When reviewing SAT trends alongside results globally, nationally, and from adjacent school divisions, it is clear that SAT performance challenges are not unique to FCPS as detailed in the Table below. For example:

• When looking closer at shifts from 2021 to 2022, data indicate that while all divisions had a decline in total mean score, Fairfax County's decline (-16) was less than half that in Arlington County (-34) and less than a third of that in Falls Church City (-57).
• Fairfax County also had the third highest 2022 total mean score (1185) among its neighbors, behind only Falls Church City (1233) and Arlington (1209). Note: Fairfax was the fourth highest performing division in Virginia, closely following #3 Charlottesville City (1199).
• Fairfax also had the second highest 2022 participation rate (66.5%) among its neighbors, trailing only Falls Church City (72.0%).

SAT Outcomes -- 5-Year Trends With Adjacent Jurisdiction Comparison:

Jurisdiction | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |'21to'22 -------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+-------- Global Total Mean| 1068 | 1059 | 1051 | 1060 | 1050 | -10 Participation|2,136,539|2,220,087|2,198,460|1,509,133|1,737,678|+228,545 -------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+-------- Virginia Total Mean| 1117 | 1119 | 1116 | 1151 | 1117 | -27 Particip Count| 61,576 | 61,182 | 58,485 | 38,927 | 46,594 | +7,667 Particip Rate| 66.2% | 65.3% | 62.3% | 41.2% | 49.3% | +8.1pts -------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+-------- Fairfax Total Mean| 1212 | 1218 | 1211 | 1201 | 1185 | -16 Particip Count| 9,856 | 9,914 | 9,748 | 9,318 | 9,880 | +562 Particip Rate| 69.2% | 67.5% | 66.5% | 63.3% | 66.5% | +3.2pts -------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+-------- Alex Total Mean| 992 | 997 | 997 | 1148 | 1018 | -130 Particip Count| 694 | 745 | 775 | 220 | 569 | +349 Particip Rate| 80.5% | 82.7% | 79.8% | 22.2% | 52.5% |+30.3pts -------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+-------- Arl Total Mean| 1194 | 1214 | 1208 | 1243 | 1209 | -34 Particip Count| 1,031 | 1,097 | 1,129 | 805 | 1,041 | +236 Particip Rate| 59.6% | 58.7% | 59.4% | 42.2% | 51.1% | +8.9pts -------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+-------- Falls Ch Total Mean| 1264 | 1261 | 1248 | 1290 | 1233 | -57 Particip Count| 164 | 177 | 156 | 138 | 162 | +24 Particip Rate| 80.4% | 85.1% | 80.4% | 65.7% | 72.0% | +6.3pts -------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+-------- Loudoun Total Mean| 1184 | 1184 | 1173 | 1182 | 1178 | -4 Particip Count| 4,290 | 4,493 | 4,771 | 4,073 | 4,293 | +220 Particip Rate| 73.6% | 74.7% | 74.0% | 62.2% | 63.8% | +1.6pts -------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+-------- Pr Wm Total Mean| 1100 | 1105 | 1095 | 1097 | 1093 | -4 Particip Count| 3,652 | 3,720 | 3,618 | 2,756 | 2,797 | +41 Particip Rate| 56.2% | 56.2% | 51.5% | 40.8% | 40.0% | -0.8pts -------------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+-------- -- Virginia data include seniors from all state instructional formats: public, private, and home-schooled. -- Participation rates are calculated out of senior class enrollment from state Fall membership reports. -- State and Global total mean scores have been corrected to reflect data in College Board archived reports.

Factors contributing to SAT student score declines may include the following:

• Given the recent global, national, state, and local score trends all declining there may be changes in test norming at the College Board level.
• Score declines may also be attributable in part to continued pandemic related learning impacts.
• With a growing number of colleges and universities removing the test score requirement from their admissions process, students who might have otherwise taken multiple SAT attempts and engaged in SAT test preparation may now be satisfied with their first score and choose not to prepare further and reattempt the test.
• More specifically related to FCPS, division implementation of SAT School Day testing may have an impact on score trends. SAT School Day testing provides free access in the fall of the senior year for all FCPS twelfth grade students to take the SAT exam during a normal school day with transportation and meals provided. SAT School Day encourages participation by students who may otherwise not have registered for a weekend exam, including students who are not yet certain of their postsecondary plans. The Class of 2022 was the first group of FCPS seniors that benefited from full access to SAT School Day.
• With the combination of implementing SAT School Day and seeing more test-optional colleges and universities, the profile of SAT test takers in FCPS has begun to shift. In previous years, the profile of students taking the exam was fairly consistent: high probability of attending 4-year college, likely to take the exam more than one time, paid for the weekend exam and perhaps additional preparation services. All of these factors may be contributing to trends in average SAT scores in FCPS.

Thank you again for your interest in this important matter,

Sloan J. Presidio, Ed.D., J.D.
Chief Academic Officer
Fairfax County Public Schools
571.423.4010

From: FCTA president Arthur Purves to FCPS Chief Academic Officer Dr. Sloan Presidio

Dr. Presidio,

I want to acknowledge your reply and thank you for it.

We'll need time to digest it. However, at first glance you address only the one-year 2021-2022 trend and not the four-year 2018-2022 trend.

Also, you do not address the dramatic disparities among the FCPS high schools. For example, Justice and Lewis were about the same in 2018, at 1093 and 1094. Justice increased by 29 points (the biggest increase) and Lewis fell by 74 points (the biggest decrease). Why the difference?

Also you have data that is not made available to the public. Arlington did not post its scores. I had to FOIA the FCPS College Board District Reports. There are similar reports for each high school. These should be posted on the FCPS website, and we request that you do so. The same is true for ACT reports: Please post both the district and high school ACT reports.

FCPS' lack of transparency makes this a one-sided discussion. For example, the difference between Justice and Lewis may be participation rates, but you can see the data and we cannot.

Respectfully,

Arthur Purves
President
Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance