Did it occur to you that Whitewater HS has yet to have a graduating Senior class? I don't know the cause of their lower scores but don't Juniors usually take the test as sort of a practice session and then retake it their Senior year? I'm sure someone will answer these legit questions in an unbiased manner.

and also the fact is at least Whitewater's scores are above the state average. Next year Whitewater's score will be a truer picture. For 1bighammer's 411 my outrage isn't supposed, it's real.

at whatever their former schools were...they didn't pop out of thin air to become Whitewater High School Senior classmen. The SAT is the same statewide, so why does that matter? Starr's Mill had the same situation when it opened...How can they be ranked if they've yet to have seniors?

Actually, I think what you are referring to is the PSAT. And, for the record, that is traditionally taken in 10th grade. Most high school Juniors take the SAT now in order to have their scores back in time to apply to colleges... (Unless, of course, things have changed dramatically since I graduated.)

No Kimmy... they didn't pop out of thin air. They started as Freshmen and this is the first year they will be graduating. Same with their football team. This is the first year they've ever fielded Seniors. I didn't know about the preSAT and I have no idea where the score came from. I was only stating that you couldn't compare Whitewater due to these circumstances as Farrah correctly left them out of her calculations.

The question is where did the Whitewater test come from. I'm pretty certain you can take the SAT even if your a Sophmore if you choose. Well....straighten me out. My kiddies haven't made it quite that far yet.

In the stone age (1985) we took the preSAT in 10th grade (AP English). I'm not sure if the reg. English classes did, but all 11th graders were encouraged to take it. I actually took the SAT twice before I graduated (proud to say I almost made 1400 back then). My son is a freshman now, and in his study skills class they cover SAT vocab already. In a way, I hate the way the school system pushes testing so much, but I guess it's the only way to keep tabs on who's getting the job done and whom is not (SCHS).

I didn't mention Whitewater's score in an earlier post because Whitewater's score wasn't reported in the article. I am curious, however, about your comment "We get the least and we get it last." Do you care to expound? As a parent whose kids are headed to Sandy Creek in a few years, I'm curious about the academic environment, standards of behavior, etc., there. I've found it's really difficult to form an accurate opinion about a school until your kids are actually at that school. Are you saying that Sandy Creek is at the bottom of the list when it comes to school improvements funded by the BOE? I do have friends who have been happy with their children's experiences at Sandy Creek, which has been encouraging, but those SAT scores (like Whitewater's) are pretty dismal.

Whitewater has students that took it and they are ranked in the States report. Go to the Ga Dept of Education website and look.

The "We get the least and we get it last" comment does stem from the fact that Sandy Creek is at the bottom of the list when it comes to school improvements funded by the BOE. We were the last to have an Auditorium, the last to get a decent track so we could hold track meets, the last to get good seats in our gym, and we still do not have AC in the gym (and we are the only high school that doesn't).

My point is this, SAT scores are just that, SAT scores. They alone shouldn't be used as an indicator of how good or bad a school is doing. AYP says that Sandy Creek, McIntosh, and Starrs Mill are "Distinguished". Is that a better indicator? I don't know.

I think you have to take your child's experiences in a school to judge how good the school is. I personally think students get a more realistic veiw of what life after high school is like at SCHS. It's possibly the most diverse school in the county. A diverse environment fosters individuals who are more tolerant of people from varying socioeconomic backgrounds.

Thanks for the response. I knew Sandy Creek got an auditorium just a few years ago, but I was unaware of the other things you mentioned. I agree that SAT scores can't be the sole indicator of student performance, but it's certainly a big one, since it's one of the main measurements used by colleges to compare/evaluate student applicants. I don't know enough about AYP to know how meaningful that is. I just question why Sandy Creek's SAT scores are SO low. I would expect their scores to be lower than McIntosh or Starr's Mill, but there hasn't been a disparity of this size in previous years. And yeah, it was a different test this year, but it was different for all of the kids taking it. SOME of it is attributable to sociodemographics, but, as another poster (newsboy) has pointed out, Sandy Creek students, in general, are NOT from poor families. I really do wonder whether academic expectations are lower at this school. The curriculum is the same throughout Fayette schools, yet my middle schooler breezed through last year without working too hard, while I heard of challenging research and writing assignments from friends with kids at Rising Starr. Last year, the material in one of my child's classes was so ridiculously easy and below grade level I questioned the teacher about it and was simply told, "I'm just following the Fayette County curriculum," and "You'd be surprised how many kids got 40s and 50s on that test." Though the diverse environment at my child's middle school is not without annoyances, the school experience has been good for the most part. I don't dispute the benefits of attending a school with a diverse student body, but I'm not willing to accept lower academic expectations, if that's what's happening. The main reason my child is in school is to be challenged and to learn the core subjects. If it's a watered down version being taught at Sandy Creek, then I don't want it. That's my concern. There has to be some reason for the low SATs besides "sociodemographics." Is it less being taught, or less effort being made by the students? Just a nagging question as my kids get older and approach high school.

would be to go to a few of the after school activities at the high school your kids will be attending. Go to a chorus concert, a softball, football or basketball game, or a school play, attend a PTO meeting. Ask questions of the people around you. Anonymous opinions will clue you in on what's going on at a particular school. Observe the interaction among the kids and also the adults.

at SCHS. A college doesn't look at all the SAT scores when admitting your student..they look at theirs. I truly don't know why there is such a difference in scores, I can't explain it. However, I do know this, my son is a senior and in his time at SCHS he's been challenged and he's learned more than I ever did in high school.

I came to Sandy Creek's defense because I truly believe it is a great school. I've been to bad schoools, and SCHS isn't one of them. Is it perfect, NO. But is any other?

When deciding where your kids will go to high school, don't just look at test scores, take a few other things into consideration:
Some of the county schools "teach to the test" more than others.
Do you want well educated students or good test takers?
When is the last time a bunch of SCHS students were arrested for under-age drinking and such?
How many SCHS students have brought a carload of weapons to school?
How many SHCS students have been gunned down or have gunned someone down at a party?

I would assume you mean graduating SCHS 4-5 years ago if your child is graduating in December from a 4 year university. You're comparing apples to oranges. It's not the same school-take it from someone who knows. But congrats on the Magna Cum Laude-I'm sure you're proud.

it has changed quick. If you live in the Tyrone city limits you pay the highest taxes in the county, and to add insult to injury have the worst schools. Since the test scores are so low, people in this area should be able to send their kids to one of the other schools in the county. Let the school system fix the problem. Why should be be penalized? People have complained over and over about the kids comming in from Fulton and Clayton, so far, that has not been fixed. There seems to be no way to fix it either. Everything that has been tried so far, has not worked.

a favor, don't even think about trying to be on the school board again. I would vote for a monkey first!

Sounds like it. Sorry, but there's really no way to put a good spin on (or make excuses for) the lousy SCHS results.

that due to the smaller number taking the test at SCHS the grades should tend to be higher. That makes more sense since the greater number taking it is diluting the mix. However you choose to analyze the statistics, the fact remains that the disparity among Sandy Creek and the other high schools has been steadily growing over the past few years. Unless something radical is done I believe this trend will continue. I'll bet your kid doesn't go to Sandy Creek.

According to 2005 SAT scores, of which we can be sure the population taking the SAT among the schools was similar to this year, SCHS was much more in line with other FC schools. Here's the "simplistic" numbers:
McIntosh:1134
Starrs Mill:1129
FCHS:1061
SANDY CREEK: 1055
Newnan HS: 1034
East Coweta HS: 1000
Yes, there's always been some disparity among Fayette schools but not to this extent. Next time try to recognize the truth before it bites you on the butt.

Research has always shown a strong correlation between socioeconomic status and SAT scores and between race and SAT scores. Granted, the first maxim of statisitcs is that correlation does not necessarily imply causation; however, socioeconomic status and race give some idea of the population a school is working with. Compare the average median or per capita incomes among the varying high school districts. SCHS's is the lowest. Compare the percent of students eligible for free or reduced lunches. SCHS's is the highest. Compare the racial demographics. SCHS has the highest black population. Where do all the "transfer" students from Creekside, Mundy's Mill, and other Clayton and South Fulton high schools go when they "move" to Fayette County ("move" = living with grandparents, aunts, cousins, etc. who live in county)? SCHS. The vast majority go to Sandy Creek. I am not making excuses for SCHS. This is a real problem that needs to be fixed, but there are so many factors involved in a student's SAT performance over which schools and teachers have absolutely no control. Be sure you are comparing apples and oranges.

Read front page online AJC story: Top SAT Schools Also Diverse-blows your theory out of the water!

Everyone understands the correlation between socioeconomic status, race, and SAT scores. Sandy Creek does have the highest percentage of blacks in Fayette County, but many, many of those students are from middle class families. And yes, Sandy Creek has the highest percentage of students eligible for free lunches in Fayette County, but I'll bet it's nowhere near the percentage at Grady High. Yet despite these factors, Grady High outscored Sandy Creek by almost 100 points. I just don't think the low scores can be so easily attributed to socioeconomic status in the case of Sandy Creek. As you say, there are numerous factors involved, but in Sandy Creek's case, I think the comments about parental and student responsibility may be just as relevant.

Why is everyone so afraid of the truth? I get so tired of people making excuses for minorities. When I fail at something I don't blame my gender, race, hair color, weight, etc. It is regularly said that SAT score statistics are unbalanced or biased against black students for any number of reasons, including the lack of an equal quality education that white students get, or whatever. But in this case these students come from the same county school system. Has the BOE put lower quality teachers at SCHS? Do the students have inferior textbooks as compared to the rest of the county? Are the facilities inferior in any way because there are more blacks at that school? Absolutely not...when people start accepting personal responsibility for their actions, then "racism" will become a thing of the past. If more young blacks had someone like Herman Cain as their chosen role model instead of 50 cent or Kobe Bryant, they'd all be alot better off.

Well said. I have no doubt that the students who transfer from Clayton county have to play catch up. They will either study harder to catch up, or continue to play the race card, and blame everyone else. It's a toss isn't it?

We do not teach our high school students to drive a car safely, balance a checkbook, prepare a budget, speak clearly, dress appropriately, be proud of their sex without exibiting it all the way out of their dress or jeans, and how to use logic to solve problems and to learn from historical mistakes. Then, when they get to college, they are real hedonists. It takes them 20 additional years to be of any value to our country, if then (BUSH example). All we have to do in high school, or middle school, is sort the technicals from the artists and teach them appropriately, in addition to the above facts for all of them. We are really screwing up education, and who has money has a lot to do with it.

The AJC's examples of diverse school(s) that score high on the SAT are the extreme exceptions. Look at the overall picture. Look at the top 30 schools and the bottom 30 schools. The top 30 are by and large overwhelmingly non-black and/or upper socioeconomic status schools. the bottom, 30 are by and large black and/or lower socioeconomic status schools. Granted an exception or two may slip in. I have said and will say again, if you switch McIntosh's and SCHS's student populations, the SAT scores would reverse, guaranteed. SAT scores are a terrible way to compare schools. They are largely a reflection of demographics.