On “State Education Statistics”

Abstract

In January 1984 and again in January 1985, then Secretary of Education Bell released the table “State Education Statistics.” These tables contained a variety of education indicators, among them average SAT or ACT scores for each state. In this paper we examine these scores to see if they can be used for state-by-state comparisons to aid in the evaluation of those educational policies that vary across states. We conclude that statistical adjustment to remove the bias introduced by inappropriate aggregation and self-selection of examinees is not sufficient to insure the validity of the kinds of inferences that are desired.