QUALITY OF EDUCATION— HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SEEKING HIGHER EDUCATION

Why is this important?

Tuolumne County residents indicated that the percentage of high school students who go on to higher education and the percentage receiving high average scores on college entrance exams is important to them. The number of students who take the standard college entrance exam measures educational aspiration. The competitive advantage of California and the United States today lies in knowledge-based, high technology industries. Young people with post-secondary education will perform better in this environment than those without. A better-educated society is also linked to lower crime rates and better health.

What is the measure?

The SAT (Scholastic Achievement Test) is the dominant college entrance exam given in the United States. Students wanting to enter the University of California or California State University system, as well as other universities, must take this exam. A combined SAT exam score of 1,000 is in many cases the minimum criterion for admission.

How are we doing?

A local survey showed that 72% of the students who graduate from our high schools are seeking postsecondary education. When compared to the state, however, there is a gap between the percentage of Tuolumne County students who take the SAT (26%) and the percentage statewide (35%). Overall, the very low percentage of the county’s high school seniors who are taking the SAT indicates that many students may be missing out on an important step toward their future careers.

Tuolumne County is similar to the state in that female students score lower overall than males. The percentage of county students who meet the minimum criterion is lower than the state average.