Are South Carolina's students falling even further behind?

New results from the SAT college admission test suggest it's a possibility.

Average SAT scores for the state's graduating seniors fell five points in 2012 to 1431, according to data released Monday by the S.C. Department of Education. It's the second straight year of declines.

The national average dropped two points to 1498.

In South Carolina, critical reading was 481, math was 488, and writing was 462; compared to the national average for all schools of 496, 514, and 488.

Education Superintendent Mick Zais, a vocal opponent of many national standardized tests and rating systems, raised issue with the state’s lagging scores, particularly in critical reading and writing.

“Like the other college admission test ACT, the SAT is not a measure of school effectiveness," he said in a prepared release. "However, within the student population taking the SAT is another data point confirming a troubling trend: there is a wide reading gap between South Carolina and the nation. 

Here's how Lexington-Richland 5 performed:

“Addressing the reading gap in elementary school must be our top priority because reading is fundamental to everything else in a student’s education. If students cannot read, they will not succeed in school," Zais said.

"To accomplish this goal, we must transform education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that delivers a personalized and customized education to each student.”