The Princeton Review: College Board's Own Report on SAT Test:
Shocking Inequalities in Scores by Gender and Race

The College Board today issued its annual SAT score report, which many view as a significant benchmark of the state of American education. The Board's own data, however, contradict their claims that the SAT is a valid measure of academic achievement.

The Board acknowledges "growing disparities" among ethnic and gender groups, but a closer analysis of their information shows shocking inequalities: compared to white students, black students scored 194 points lower and Hispanic/Latino students scored 127 points lower. Continuing another disturbing trend, women scored 42 points lower than men, representing a gap that has grown each of the past three years. This is despite the fact that women take more academic courses than do men in high school and receive higher grades in every subject except for math, in which their average GPA is virtually identical to that of their male counterparts.

"In light of all of the recent emphasis on standards, the SAT reveals itself to be increasingly irrelevant," said John Katzman, president and founder of The Princeton Review, the country's largest SAT preparation company. "It distorts the admissions and financial aid processes, and distracts educators from the real mission of American schools. The SAT clearly doesn't measure what our teachers and schools measure. It is, at best, a flawed and clumsy predictive tool and, at worst, one of the greatest forces working against women and minorities in American higher education."

The Princeton Review is the nation's premier test preparation and admissions services company, guiding millions of students each year through the transitions from high school to college to professional studies. With 700 locations in more than 60 cities in the U.S. and abroad, The Princeton Review's courses prepare students for a host of standardized tests. Its series of more than 150 books is published by Random House and its award- winning line of test prep and educational software is co-branded with The Learning Company. Princeton Review Online (http://www.review.com) offers a wide variety of services, tools, and information for students, parents, guidance counselors, and admissions directors. Princeton Review Financial Services offers assistance to students in the form of student loans and financial aid advice.