Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | Fayette SAT #1 in state – maybeBy JOHN THOMPSON Were #1! Maybe. That was the message resonating through the halls of the the Fayette County School System Tuesday morning as preliminary results of the Scholastic Aptitude Test were released by the state Department of Education. Fayettes average score, as announced by the state, was 1078, which was tops in the metro Atlanta area, and second in the state. However, local school officials cautioned that the state reports may contain errors, and they are awaiting paperwork from the College Board, the group that administers the test, before celebrations begin. Even so, local officials were jubilant. Jefferson City Schools had a higher average by 18 points, but only 44 students took the test. We had over 1,300 students take the test, said Public Information Officer Melinda Berry-Dreisbach. In a press release, Dreisbach said the countys students scored 17 points above the 2004 system average, a big accomplishment for the graduating class of 2005 and the last group of students taking the former version of the SAT. The new SAT, which was first administered in March 2005, features higher-level math, additional reading passages and a new writing section with an essay. The scores of the new test will not be released until August 2006. The press release also indicates that Fayette outpaced the state and national averages by 50 and 85 points, respectively. The 2005 Georgia average is 993 and the national average is 1028. All high schools upped their averages in 2005 with McIntosh making the greatest gains, posting an average score of 1114, a 28-point increase over 2004. McIntosh, along with Starrs Mill, which had an average score of 1107, a 12-point gain from last year, are among 12 schools in Georgia to earn scores in the 1100s. Out of those schools, McIntosh placed eighth and Starrs Mill ninth. Fayette County and Sandy Creek also had significant gains in their scores. Fayettes average of 1044 is 11 points above 2004 and Sandy Creeks score of 1038 pushed the school 19 points ahead of last years score. Whitewater High is not included in the scores above since the schools highest academic level in 2005 was 10th grade. While our scores were above state and national averages last year, we are very pleased to see that all of our schools have gained points in 2005, said Superintendent John DeCotis. These increases are a direct result of dedicated teachers, administrators, students and parents. While Fayettes scores remain among the best in the state and nation, we will continue to systematically evaluate our overall educational program to help ensure that our schools are bringing the best education possible to all students, DeCotis said. |
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