GCS SAT Scores Follow State and National Trends

The district’s average scores saw slight decrease among 2009 graduates

Contact: Laurie Hogan (336) 370-8307
Created: 8/27/2009 7:18:30 PM

SAT Reasoning Test scores released by the College Board show a slight decrease among 2009 Guilford County Schools (GCS) graduates, but scores for 11 of the district’s schools improved.

Following state and national trends, the district’s mean score on the combined Critical Reading, Math and Writing sections decreased six points from 1471 in 2008 to 1465 in 2009. The North Carolina mean decreased three points and the national mean decreased two points. The combined mean score on the traditional Critical Reading and Math sections fell to 988, a three-point decrease from 2008. The mean Critical Reading score for GCS held steady at 488 while the averages decreased by one point on the state and national levels. The mean Math score decreased by three points to 500, while state and national math performance was unchanged. The mean Writing score decreased by three points to 477, while the state and national scores decreased by two points and one point, respectively.

SAT performance among select schools and students remained outstanding. Three GCS students earned perfect scores of 1600 on the combined Critical Reading and Math sections. Thirteen students scored a perfect 800 in Critical Reading, nine had perfect scores in Math, and four had perfect scores in Writing.

Seven schools – Grimsley High, The Early College at Guilford, The Middle College at GTCC-Jamestown, The Middle College at GTCC-High Point, Northwest High, Page High and Weaver Academy – had higher total scores than the national average of 1509. These schools, along with Ragsdale High, outpaced the state’s total score of 1486.

Three schools – The Middle College at Bennett, The Middle College at GTCC-Jamestown and Southern High – improved both their mean scores and their student participation rates. The Middle College at Bennett’s participation increased by 20.1 percentage points and The Middle College at GTCC-Jamestown mean score on the combined Critical Reading, Math and Writing sections went up by 142 points. While participation increased at six district schools, the participation rate among GCS students was lower overall. With 316 fewer test takers, participation decreased 7.1 percent, down from 65.6 percent in 2008 to 58.5 percent.

“SAT preparation is something we will continue to address throughout our schools,” said Beth Folger, chief academic officer. “While SAT scores are not the only evidence of our students’ achievement, they are an important part of college applications. We want to make sure our students are ready for higher education and that they will be competitive in the college admissions process.”

Click the link below for more information about SAT scores:

http://www.gcsnc.com/sat.htm

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About Guilford County Schools

Guilford County Schools is the third largest school district in North Carolina serving more than 71,000 students at 120 schools. With approximately 10,000 employees, the district’s mission is to graduate responsible citizens prepared to succeed in higher education or the career of their choice. 

Guilford County Schools is a national leader in providing specialized schools and instructional programs designed to meet the educational needs of a culturally diverse citizenship.  For more information, visit the district’s Web site at www.gcsnc.com.