Black Students Are Not as Prepared as White Students for the Type of Questions Found on the SAT Test

A major reason for the SAT racial gap may in large part be because black students who take the SAT have not followed the same academic track as white students. It is true that 97 percent of both blacks and whites who take the SAT have studied algebra in high school. But in higher level mathematics courses such as trigonometry and calculus, whites hold a very large lead. In 2007, 46 percent of white SAT test takers had taken trigonometry in high school compared to 34 percent of black test takers. Some 31 percent of white test takers had taken calculus in high school. Only 15 percent of black students had taken calculus, less than one half as many as whites. Thirty-five percent of white SAT test takers had taken honors courses in mathematics compared to 21 percent of black SAT test takers.

Similar discrepancies appear in the level of instruction in English, the other major component of the SAT. Some 91 percent of white test takers had completed coursework in American literature compared to 83 percent of black test takers. For whites, 69 percent had taken high school courses in composition compared to 57 percent of blacks. A full 43 percent of all white test takers had completed honors courses in English compared to 31 percent of black test takers.

Also, whites are far more likely than blacks to have taken honors courses in science and social studies. Given the huge differences in course study between black and white high school students, it comes as no surprise that white SAT scores are significantly higher than black SAT scores. Whites, who are more likely to attend high-quality schools, have simply achieved a greater mastery of the subject matter than have blacks.

Copyright © 2007. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.