Indiana SAT scores drop slightly

INDIANAPOLIS - Average SAT scores dipped slightly for Indiana’s high school class of 2009, mirroring a trend seen nationwide.

Indiana’s average score on the reading portion of the college entrance exam was 496 out of a possible 800 - the same as last year. Average math scores dropped slightly to 507 from from last year’s 508. Scores on the test’s writing portion fell from 481 in 2008 to 480 this year.

Indiana’s scores remained below national averages.

Average SAT scores nationwide were stable or rising most years from 1994 to 2004, but have declined since then. That’s likely due in part to the widening pool of test-takers, which tends to weigh down average scores while being a positive sign that more students are interested in college.