Home > Snellville.Talk > Archives > 2007 > August > 30
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Should worries rise when SAT scores fall?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s no fun reading that the average SAT score at your child’s school plummeted 70 points over the last year.
I imagine that this news about South Gwinnett High School sent some parents seeking “For Sale” signs or calling private schools.
South’s average SAT score was 1454 this year, compared to 1524 last year. That not only reflects a marked decrease, but it places South’s score below county, state and national averages.
South scored higher than five high schools in Gwinnett’s system: Central Gwinnett (1451) , Shiloh (1444), Berkmar (1401), Phoenix (1389) and Meadowcreek (1347). It scored lower than the 10 other Gwinnett public high schools and also fell below Buford High School of the Buford city school system.
Context provides a wee bit of consolation. National, state and county averages went down, too, this year. Some speculate that the low scores may reflect difficulty with the new, revised SAT exam now in its second year.
But South Gwinnett’s drop was the largest in the county. Next in line was a 61-point drop at Meadowcreek High School. And not all schools saw a decline. Buford and five Gwinnett high schools increased their scores during this time.
South Gwinnett Principal Berry Simmons said the lower scores surprised and disappointed school officials. They were surprised because the school has improved on other exams, such as the Gateway and the High School Graduation Test. He said performance on the ACT — another college entrance exam — stayed about the same. And scholarships for the class of 2007 were higher than for previous classes.
“We’re hoping this was just a one-year blip,” Simmons said. “It is not characteristic of where this school usually is.”
Simmons said more South Gwinnett students took the SAT last year than the year before. And, he said, some of the top students of South’s class of 2007 took the SAT as juniors, but not again as seniors. Those factors may have affected the average score, he said.
While administrators and faculty hope the drop in scores was an aberration, they are not going to sit back and assume that, Simmons said. They will continue to work on SAT vocabulary and make sure students register for online SAT help.
The school recently went to a seven-period day, and officials are considering how that extra period can be used to better prepare students for the exam.
“We’re looking at pro-active measures,” Simmons said. “We aren’t looking at staying where we are.”
What do you think of Gwinnett schools’ 2007 SAT scores?
Permalink | Comments (52) | Post your comment | Categories: Susan Gast
