U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today issued the following statement in response to the analysis of the SAT scores of the class of 2004, released today:

"We're heartened that the nation's college-bound seniors have largely held onto recent gains in the SAT, the assessment widely considered for admission to colleges in the United States. This occurred even as the number of test-takers reached another all-time high.

"Perhaps most encouraging is that Hispanic students, the fastest-growing group of test-takers, saw their scores increase in both the math and verbal categories, as did Native Americans. Given its requirement that schools be accountable for the academic performance of all students, it appears that the No Child Left Behind Act is succeeding in helping these young men and women advance toward greater academic participation and higher achievement.

"Now we must keep our eyes on the prize. We want to sustain these gains not for years, but for generations. Studies show that SAT scores rise when students take challenging coursework in high school, such as calculus and English composition. Unfortunately, minority students still lag behind their peers on this front.

"We must close this 'aspiration gap.' President Bush's 2005 budget includes a 119 percent increase for the Advanced Placement Incentives program to help schools offer more of these challenging courses and encourage students to take them. Students must challenge themselves in order to reach their full potential and ensure a brighter future."

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