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Starr’s Mill H.S. 5th best in Georgia SAT scores

By J. FRANK LYNCH
jflynch@thecitizennews.com

Starr’s Mill High School is fifth best in the state in the latest national test scores marathon, and for the first time ever, it tops McIntosh High for highest Scholastic Aptitude Test scores in the county.

The gap between Fayette County students and the rest of the state and nation on the SAT continued to widen last year, as Fayette students posted cumulative scores 90 points above the state average and 51 points above the national average.

Fayette County’s overall average of 1077 was the highest ever for the district, and reflected an impressive 16 point increase over 2003’s average of 1061.

Data released Tuesday by State Superintendent Kathy Cox showed the national average was 1026. The state average of 987 was three points better than 2003, pulling Georgia out of dead-last in the ranking of state scores. South Carolina now ranks 50th in the nation.

Starr’s Mill High posted the largest numerical gain in the county, raising scores 31 points to 1117 and besting rival McIntosh High for the first time in seven years of friendly SAT comparisons.

Starr’s Mill was ranked fifth overall statewide in highest scores, tied with Roswell High in north Fulton County.

McIntosh, meanwhile, saw a three-point increase in its scores over 2003, to 1107, good enough to rank McIntosh among the top 10 schools statewide.

The second-highest numerical jump locally was seen at Fayette County High, where students managed to improve their cumulative score by 21 points, to 1051. That reflects a 50 point improvement for Fayette High in just two years.

Not to be outdone, Sandy Creek High also posted an impressive gain, pushing 2004’s average score to 1034. That’s a 24 point increase in two years.

In other comparisons, Fulton County’s system average was 1056; Cobb County, 1040; Gwinnett County, 1037; Cherokee County, 1032; and Forsyth County, 1027.

In neighboring Coweta County, the system average score of 1,000 even was 26 points below the national average. Northgate High had the highest Coweta score and managed to match the national average at 1026. But East Coweta High’s average score of 977 was 10 points below the state average.

In Henry County, no schools bested the national average and the system score of 974 fell 13 points below the rest of the state.

And in Clayton County, only one school — Jonesboro High — managed to post scores above the state average, at 993. The systemwide average score of 901 was 86 points below the rest of the state, the lowest in the metro area.

Georgia’s combined math and verbal score improved of 987 marked a 10-year high, said Cox of Peachtree City.

The state’s average score went up even though there were 1,453 more students (57,838) taking the SAT, which makes the improvement even more impressive.

“This is great news, but we recognize that there’s still a lot of work to do,” said Cox. “We are already moving ahead with our statewide SAT improvement efforts and I am optimistic that this is an upward trend we can continue.”