Mean SAT Scores & Participation for 2013 by State

This project involved displaying two datasets on one map, the mean SAT scores by state for 2013 as well as the rates of participation. The scores are displayed as a choropleth map with the participation rate overlaid as bar graphs that show the ratio of test-takers to non test-takers for each state. Care was taken that the bar graphs for each state were clearly assigned and readable.

There seems to be a clear inverse correlation between rates of participation and mean scores for each state. So much so that for the highest two classes for SAT scores (i.e. 1601 and above), the highest participation rate reaches only 13% (Ohio). Meanwhile, the states that have 100% participation or close to it (Idaho, Maine, Delaware) have mean scores among the lowest in the country. All three are in the bottom five along with another high participation region - Washington DC at 81% - and a middle of the road state when it comes to participation, Hawaii.

The low participation states seem to have a population of motivated test takers who have a vested interest in the outcome of the test, while the high participation states have made taking the SAT mandatory for all graduating high school students, thus diluting their results with a large volume of students with no stake in their test results.

The primary takeaway from this map, then, is that mean SAT scores by state is not a useful metric for comparing educational outcomes across states.

Mean SAT score totals by state for 2013