For the third year in a row scores for Hawai'i's public school students declined in all SAT subject areas.

After making slight gains in math and reading in 2005, Hawai'i's public school scores have declined every year since then. In 2005, the average public school math score was 492, compared with 473 this year. Similarly, the average reading score in 2005 was 467 compared with 456 this year.

Private school scores also experienced similar declines since 2005, but they continue to outpace public school scores. In 2005, the average private school math score was 596 compared with 571 this year. Also in 2005, the average critical reading score was 555 compared to 534 this year.

College Board SAT scores, as well as results from the ACT, a separate college entrance exam, are generally used by colleges and universities to evaluate whether a student is prepared for college coursework.

However, critics of the test nationwide say the exam has lost the influence it once had, with some universities and colleges now making the test optional for admission. Some 800 colleges now consider the SAT an optional test for admissions, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing.

In Hawai'i, 8,195 students in the Class of 2008 took the SAT. Among the Hawai'i students who took the test, 4,963 were from public schools.

TEST STILL RELEVANT

While nationally some colleges are relying less on the SAT, University of Hawai'i officials say the test is still used as one indicator for admissions.

"We still believe it is relevant, but it is only one of many predictors that we use when making a decision," said Alan Yang, associate vice chancellor for students at UH-Manoa.

At the UH-Manoa, applicants are generally required to have at least a score of 510 on math, critical reading and writing. Applicants are generally expected to have a 2.8 grade-point average, be in the top 40 percent of their graduating class and complete college preparatory coursework, Yang said.

He said the university considers all of those factors and not just the SAT.

"You can have a very high achiever in terms of grade point and class ranking, but they're just not good test takers. So it's really a matter of looking at the individual applicants," Yang said.

MORE TAKING THE TEST

Department of Education officials pointed to an increase in the number of students who opted to take the SAT last year as one of the positive trends. A total of 7,982 students took the test last year compared with 8,195 this year.

"The department is very concerned about the decrease in scores. But we're also encouraged by the number of students taking the exam," said Cara Tanimura, head of the DOE's systems accountability section.

Tanimura said an increase in students taking the SAT means that more students are considering college or university as a post-high school option.

FREE PRACTICE EXAM

The DOE has taken measures over the past few years to boost SAT scores, including offering the Preliminary SAT at no cost to public school students.

For the past three years the DOE has been offering the practice exam at no cost to 10th-graders and expanded the offering to 10th- and 11th-graders last school year.

The PSAT is essentially a practice SAT exam and national research has shown that students who take the PSAT tend to do better on the actual SAT than students who don't.

A total of 11,004 sophomores and juniors took the PSAT last year. Hawai'i public school students who took the PSAT at least once prior to taking their SAT on average scored at least 33 points higher in reading and writing and 36 point higher in math

Tanimura said the DOE will be working closely with high schools to encourage more participation in the practice exam and participation in SAT preparation courses. She said the DOE is also expanding the offering of the PSAT to ninth-graders, as well.

"We're encouraging students to start preparing early," Tanimura said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report