Performing well on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is nothing new for Fayette County high school seniors, and this year was no exception. Georgia SAT scores are sliding but Fayette test scores for 2009 continued their upward climb. All but Fayette County High School scored well above the state average for public schools.

Fayette’s 2009 high school graduates topped the average scores of last year’s graduating seniors, resulting in an increase for the second consecutive year on the SAT, said school system Public Information Officer Melinda Berry-Dreisbach. The county’s increase comes as both state and national averages decrease, she said.

A total of 1,320 high school graduates took the SAT in Fayette, Berry-Dreisbach said. Both McIntosh and Starr’s Mill High tied for 16th place in the state with the highest scores.

Score totals in reading, math and writing for Fayette schools included Fayette County High School at 1,452, McIntosh High at 1,632, Sandy Creek at 1,502, Starr’s Mill at 1,632 and Whitewater High at 1,501.

The state average for public schools is 1,450 while the average for all schools is 1,460 The maximum possible score is 2,400.

Reading scores at Fayette schools ranged from a low of 491 at Fayette County High to a high of 540 at McIntosh and Starr’s Mill.

Math scores ranged from 486 at Fayette County to 559 at McIntosh and 565 at Starr’s Mill.

And in writing, scores ranged from 475 at Fayette County and 491 at Whitewater and Sandy Creek to 527 at Starr’s Mill and 533 at McIntosh.

Fayette’s students posted an overall average score of 1,555, or four points above last year’s average, 95 points above that of the state and 46 points over the national average, said Berry-Dreisbach. While Fayette’s average score increased, the state’s score fell 6 points from last year and the national average dipped two points, she said.

Berry-Dreisbach said the breakdown of Fayette’s scores reflected 519 in critical reading, 529 in mathematics and 507 in writing.

Fayette outscored both the state and the nation in all test sections. The county’s score is 29 points above the state and 18 points above the nation in critical reading, 38 above the state and 14 above the nation in mathematics and 28 above the state and 14 above the nation in writing.

“We are very pleased with how our students performed on the SAT and are proud of the hard work that they and their teachers, administrators and parents put into raising our overall average for the second year in a row. Once again Fayette’s score is above both the state and national average,” said Superintendent John DeCotis. “While Fayette’s scores are high, there is room for improvement. We will continue to work toward raising our scores by researching methodologies and measures that will help all of our students perform at their personal best.”

Other school systems in Georgia scoring high on the SAT included Cherokee County at 1,529, Forsyth County at 1,548, Oconee County at 1,565 and Catoosa County at 1,566.