Friday, August 29, 2003
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Friday, August 29, 2003 |
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System happy with SAT scores By JOHN THOMPSON
Coweta school officials are feeling pretty good about the release of SAT scores this week. "We were 23 points above the state average," said Public Information Director Dean Jackson. The system's average was 1007, down two points from last year's scores. Jackson said Northgate High School and East Coweta High School posted significant increases in this year's average test score. Newnan High School's average score dropped, but from a record-high score of 1037 posted last year. Newnan still leads the school system at 1014 average score; Northgate posted a 1011 average score with a 16-point increase; and East Coweta High School posted a 1000 average score and rose seven points from last year's scores. Fifty-five percent of seniors graduating from Coweta County high schools last year took the SAT. Georgia school systems generally and Coweta County School System particularly have a very large percentage of seniors who take the SAT. "When you compare us with other states, you see how many of our students are being evaluated. In South Dakota, which usually leads the nation in scores, only 5 percent take the test," Jackson said. Superintendent Peggy Connell was pleased with the performance of all three high schools. "We have continued to see our scores rise at our high schools for several years and, even as our participation rate has increased," she said. "We are closing the gap with national averages even as we test a larger percentage of our students, and we are very proud of that." Jackson said the drop of two points on the system average could be an anomaly and breaks an unusual three-year increase in the average SAT score. The SAT 1 (also known by its previous name, the Scholastic Aptitude Test) is designed specifically for students who have been enrolled in traditional college preparatory classes and plan to attend a 4-year college or university. Any student who wishes to take the test in Coweta County can.
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