Q: What do Maine and the District of Columbia have in common?
A: They rank lowest for 2010 SAT scores by state: Maine for the lowest average reading score in the country at 468 points vs. the national average of 501; and the District of Columbia for the lowest average math score in the country (464 points vs. 516 national average). For math, Maine ranks #50 and for reading the District of Columbia ranks #50.
It doesn't seem like Maine and D.C. would have that much in common to share the bottom rankings for SAT scores, does it?
(FYI: Data for the 2011 SAT will be released on Wednesday.)
Update: "Maine is the only state using the SAT to comply with No Child Left Behind accountability standards," and they therefore have a 92% SAT participation rate, the highest in the country. As Tom points out in the comments, that could be one explanation for Maine's low average test scores - almost all high school students take the SAT, even those with no intention to attend college. However, nearby Massachusetts has the second-highest SAT participation rate of 86%, and it has average test scores above the national means (512 for reading, 526 for math)?
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