Hawai'i's average combined scores had risen slightly in 2005, but continued to lag behind the national averages.

"This was a fairly significant decline," said Greg Knudsen, a state Department of Education spokesman. "Perhaps so significant that it has sparked some national discussion about the new test."

Locally, there was little explanation for why Hawai'i's drop was more than the national average.

"The Department of Education will thoroughly examine the 2006 College Board SAT results to determine what is needed to reverse this decline," said state schools superintendent Pat Hamamoto in a news release. "The last few years have been improving, and we can't let this one-year setback continue."

Nationally, experts agreed the dip in combined math and critical reading scores was related to the new test. In addition to the writing section, it includes more advanced math questions and replaces analogies with more reading comprehension.

Some also blamed fatigue.

The expanded exam runs from three hours to three hours and 45 minutes, which can take a full morning when breaks are factored in.

DECLINE PREDICTED

Some national fair-testing advocates had predicted the longer exam would cause scores to decline, but the College Board, which administers the exam, said its research shows no drop-off in student performance as the test goes on.

"The College Board still insists that fatigue was not a factor. I don't know," said Ron Cambra, vice chancellor of undergraduate education at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. "Anytime you're asked to take a four-hour exam, I can't help but believe it has to play some sort of role."

Cambra said UH takes the SAT scores "very seriously" when accepting students. He could not say how admissions may have been affected by the lowered scores.

UH-Manoa generally requires applicants to have at least a score of 510 in both math and reading comprehension, Cambra said. The university also now requires a score of 510 for the new writing section, he said.

"The writing portion is a serious part of our consideration for admissions," he said.

Eunice Fukunaga, post-high school counselor at Waipahu High School, said the fluctuation in test scores may not necessarily be reflective of the new test.

"I don't think it was the fact of the test changed," Fukunaga said. "The scores are just going to fluctuate from year to year as a new batch of students take the test."

She said that in her experience, a number of factors contribute to the scores students receive, including the amount of sleep a student gets the night before the test and whether he or she has taken a test-preparation course or even a practice test.

HAWAI'I FARED BETTER

Colleges typically look at performance on both SAT and ACT, a separate college entrance exam, when accepting students, but SAT scores are more widely used. ACT results released earlier this month showed Hawai'i exceeding the national average on that college-entrance exam. Hawai'i has done better than the national average in the ACT every year since 2001.

Cambra said he believes the high number of students taking the SAT may have contributed to decreased scores. He also points out that fewer students took the test a second time.

Traditionally, students retake the test at least once, which can significantly increase scores, Cambra said. The College Board reports that 3 percent fewer test-takers tried the exam a second time nationally. Combined math and reading scores typically rise 30 points when a student retakes the test.

EXPENSES COVERED

The state DOE has established a partnership with the College Board to administer the Preliminary SAT to all public school sophomores in October at no cost to students, said Knudsen. The PSAT will be covered by a $175,000 appropriation to the DOE from the Legislature.

In 2006, Hawai'i students who reported taking the PSAT had SAT average scores that were 74 points higher in math, 62 points higher in reading and 70 points higher in writing, according to the DOE.

"That is a real positive move. We feel its going to improve familiarity with the test and the test-taking process," Knudsen said.