Newly released reading scores on the SAT hit a four-decade low, and
writing scores edged down too, while math scores were essentially unchanged from last year. SAT average scores have declined by 20 points since 2006, when the test was revised to include a writing section.
ACT scores for the 2012 high school class were released in August and the national results were essentially the same as in 2011, meaning no real progress.
So what does it mean?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/what-do-sat-act-scores-really-mean/2012/09/24/33e341c0-0675-11e2-afff-d6c7f20a83bf_blog.html