Howard County's Class of 2016 scored slightly lower on the SAT than the Class of 2015, but far exceeded average scores for the state and nation, according to results released Tuesday.The school system's mean composite score for the standardized test, which is widely used for college admissions, fell by nine points in 2016 from the previous year, to 1647 out of 2400. The average score in mathematics fell by four points, to 561, in reading by one point, to 547, and in writing by three points, to 540.The highest score obtainable on each section of the test is 800.Superintendent Renee Foose said the decrease in SAT scores is statistically insignificant, given that the number of students taking the test increased in the past two years, from 3,183 to 3,237, and that the test was changed midway through the school year.The New York-based College Board, which administers the SAT, introduced a redesigned test in March 2016. The results released Tuesday were based on seniors who had taken the test through January 2016, before the new version of the test was released."That can be problematic and confusing for students," Foose said. "Any time we see that kind of a change, I guess we can expect a slight dip."Even with the decrease, Foose pointed out, the county's students outperformed the benchmark composite score of 1550 set by the College Board to indicate college and career readiness, and outperformed state and national scores.The county's mean scores in reading, math and writing were 47 to 67 points higher than state averages — which also decreased from the prior year — and 53 to 58 higher than national averages."I'm very proud of our students' performance," Foose said. "Our students' ability to make sense of very complex material speaks to the high level of instruction happening at all of our schools."