Minority Participation in SAT Posts Record Increase
College-bound seniors taking the SAT in 2009 were the most diverse group on record, but mean scores for African American test takers still fall behind other ethnicities, according to a new report from the College Board.
Of the more than 1.5 million students taking the test, 40% were minority and 12% were African American, the College Board announced Tuesday. An additional 12,753 black students took the test in 2009 compared to 2008, and SAT participation by blacks increased by almost 57% since 1999. Nevertheless, in the three areas that are tested by the SAT–critical reading, mathematics and writing–black students scored lower than all other ethnicities.
“We are tremendously encouraged by the increasing diversity of participation in the SAT,†said Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board, which administers the standardized test used for college admission. “As the equity gap narrows, more than ever, the SAT reflects the diversity of students in our nation’s classrooms.â€
This year test takers on average scored average of 501 in critical reading, 515 in mathematics and 493 in writing. Comparatively, black students scored an average of 429, 426, and 421 respectively, with black males scoring higher than black females in mathematics, but lower in the other categories.
Students who had taken the most demanding honors or Advanced Placement courses had higher SAT scores on this year’s test. Twenty-two percent of black students who took the SAT also took an AP/Honors Science course.
“Data bear out the necessity for schools to renew efforts to provide the strongest core curriculum possible, including writing instruction, and to improve access to courses like AP that give students such advantages on the SAT and later in college,†Caperton says.
–Marcia A. Wade
SBA Unveils YouTube Channel
Entrepreneurs just gained greater access to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The organization joined the wave of Americans sharing video virally, with the debut of its YouTube channel Wednesday.
The SBA has begun posting informational videos on YouTube as it joins an increasing trend within the federal government to use the popular video-sharing web platform to reach a larger audience.
“With millions of visitors, most of them under 35 years old, YouTube offers a prime opportunity to use current technology and the appeal of a popular online platform to further promote the agency’s programs and services,” said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills.
The SBA will use its YouTube channel to expand its outreach to younger entrepreneurs, emphasizing the importance of small business to the nation’s economy. In fact, 52% of users between 18-34 years-old share videos often with friends and colleagues, according to the YouTube.
“[The] SBA will be providing more current and potential entrepreneurs with the necessary tools to start, grow and succeed in their businesses,” Mills said.
The SBA YouTube channel debuted with a 60-second introduction to SBA, its programs and services.
Users can also view the 10 part “Delivering Success” series. The less than 10 minute videos feature advice from small business owners on a range of topics including hiring, marketing, and expanding a business.
Future content will include informational videos on how small businesses can take advantage of the Recovery Act loan programs, government contracting opportunities, exporting to increase market share, counseling and training on how to start and grow a small business, and small business success stories.
— Renita Burns
Top Doctor Honored for Achievements in Neurosurgery
Neurosurgeon Dr. Keith L. Black received the Pioneer in Medicine Award at the Sixth Annual World Congress of the International Brain Mapping & Intraoperative Surgical Planning Society today at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
The award recognizes Black’s “excellence in research, discovery and education, and pioneering work†in neurology and immunology.
Black, chairman of the department of neurosurgery and director of the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, led the team that researched and developed a vaccine that enables the immune system to recognize and target cells of the most aggressive brain tumors.
He has received many honors throughout his career, including the Jacob Javits award from the National Advisory Neurological Disorders and Stroke Council of the National Institutes of Health in 2000 for his blood-brain barrier research, which has increased the ability of cancer-fighting medications to reach brain tumors.
Black Enterprise named Black one of “America’s Leading Doctors†in May 2008.
The Congress for Brain Mapping and Image Guided Therapy takes place through Aug. 29. Among others receiving awards will be Bob Woodruff, ABC news reporter and co-founder of the Bob Woodruff Foundation, and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.
–Janell Hazelwood