Hall County Schools saw a slight gain while Gainesville City Schools saw a decrease in average SAT scores, which were released Monday.
Average scores on the college entrance exam showed about a four-point gain this year, Hall County Schools Superintendent Will Schofield said.
With a systemwide average score of 1,467, students outperformed the state average of 1,442 for public schools and 1,453 for all Georgia schools. A perfect score is 2,400. The statewide average for public, private and home-schooled students dropped seven points from last year. The state’s average scores fell below the national average of 1,497 for public school students.
Gainesville High School students scored an average of 1,401 on the SAT, down 27 points from last year.
Kay Holleman, head counselor at Gainesville High, said the number of seniors taking the exam increased this year by 18 students and the number nearly doubled for the ACT exam. Participation rose by 11 percent for Hall County Schools.
Holleman said Gainesville High emphasizes giving all seniors the opportunity to take the exam. She added that the growing diversity of the SAT test-taking pool also factors into the results.
Georgia reportedly saw its largest and most diverse group of graduating seniors take the SAT this year. The participation rate for the Georgia class of 2010 was about 74 percent, ranking Georgia among the top 10 in the nation for participation.
“Because of our diversity, we give every student an opportunity to be successful in post-secondary options,” Holleman said, adding that some schools limit the test to students enrolled in honors or Advanced Placement courses. “We do not limit anyone from taking the SAT or ACT.”
Each year, Holleman said counselors meet with each junior, senior and their parents to discuss college entrance exams and ways to prepare for them.
“If that’s the career path they’re on, we tell them to take it at least once,” she said.
State education officials said minority students in Georgia public schools continue to outperform African-American and
Hispanic students across the country on the SAT. Black public school students outscored their counterparts nationwide in critical reading and writing, while Hispanic students outperformed in reading, math and writing.
Among Hall County’s top performers are North Hall High School, which scored 60 points higher than the national average this year. The score jumped to 1,559 from last year’s 1,484. Principal Joe Gheesling said seniors at the school were encouraged to take the test multiple times, and college entrance scores were listed as part of the school’s improvement plan.
“We also administered the test locally. I think students do better in a familiar environment,” he said.
Systemwide, Schofield said the scores this year reflect an emphasis on rigorous coursework.
According to a news release from the state Department of Education, studies show that students who take more demanding honors or AP courses tend to have higher SAT scores. School officials say part of the state’s initiative this year will be to increase the number of students taking AP classes.