August 30, 2006- For Immediate Release
Columbia County Schools – 4781 Hereford Farm Road, Evans, GA 308092
For more information contact 706-541-2723 ext. 5233

 

Columbia County SAT Results Reported

Expanded, More Rigorous Test Includes Reading, Math, and Writing

 

Columbia County’s senior class of 2006 scored higher than the state average for the SAT test for college readiness, but slightly lower than the national average as reported by CollegeBoard. Despite the slight decline in reading and math scores, the new test is more rigorous and better reflects the expectations of college bound seniors.

 

“When standards become more rigorous and challenging, it’s to be expected to see a slight drop in scores.  Even though our seniors performed higher than their peers across the state, we will continue to evaluate our individual school improvement plans to address initiatives to increase our SAT scores,” said Dr. Deborah Franklin, Assistant Superintendent of Student Learning.

 

The results are the first released since the SAT was restructured in 2005.  The revised SAT was given for the first time in March 2006 and included changes to the Verbal and Math sections of the test. The new SAT features the addition of a writing section where students are asked to write an essay that requires them to take a position on an issue and use reasoning and examples to support their position. 

 

The new SAT Math section includes topics from third-year college preparatory math and Algebra II, such as exponential growth, absolute value, functional notation, and negative and fractional components.  Quantitative comparisons from the previous SAT have been eliminated.

 

SAT Highlights

Each section is scored within a range of 200-800 points, combining for a total of 2400 rather than 1600. 

  • Columbia County’s average composite score is 1512, a combination of critical reading score of 503, the average math score of 514, and the average writing score of 495.
  • Columbia County’s total SAT average is 6 points lower that the national average of 1518.
  • Columbia County’s total SAT average is 35 points above the Georgia average of 1477.
  • Columbia County’s average math score of 514 is 18 points above the Georgia average.
  • A higher percentage of students take the SAT in Columbia County than in the state. Preliminary figures indicate that approximately 79% of CCBOE seniors took the SAT compared to 48% nationally and 70% statewide.

 

Measures to improve SAT scores

Many factors affect SAT from year to year, including the percentage of students taking the test (scores tend to fall as percentages rise) academic courses studied in high school, family background, and education of parents.  Research shows that students who take more rigorous courses, such as Advanced Placement courses and Honors classes, usually score higher on the SAT.  Additional measures such as:

  • PSAT testing in grades 10 and 11 provide students a way to strengthen their preparation before they take the test.
  • SAT preparation classes are offered to public high school students as an elective high school course, or students can obtain a passcode from the guidance counselor to access the Online SAT Prep Course (www.satonlinecourseschool.com).
  • The new Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) for English/Language Arts have been restructured to enhance students’ critical reading and inferential skills.

 

 

Click here for a summary of the system and school results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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