SAT scores released today by The College Board show that the Fulton County School System has more schools with high SAT performance than any other system in Georgia. Seven Fulton schools are among the top 20 highest scoring schools in the state according to an informal data analysis.
Northview High School, with 555 test-takers, leads the Fulton pack with an overall score that is tied with Cobb County’s Walton High School as the second highest score in the state. Georgia’s top score went to a magnet school in Augusta that had only 79 students taking the test.
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Northview High School – 1722 (No. 2)
Riverwood International Charter School – 1688 (No. 5)
Alpharetta High School – 1686 (No. 6)
Chattahoochee High School – 1678 (No. 7) |
Roswell High School – 1671 (No. 8)
Milton High School – 1657 (No. 11)
Centennial High School – 1614 (No. 18)
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In addition, Fulton boasts three perfect scores of 2400 (and two near-perfect 2399 scores) as well as three students who scored a perfect 1600 in the combined reading and math sections.
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Reading |
Math |
Writing |
Total |
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Fulton |
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524 |
537 |
523 |
1584 |
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State |
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490 |
491 |
479 |
1460 |
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National |
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501 |
515 |
493 |
1509 |
Click here for individual school scores.
While Fulton’s scores dropped slightly from the previous year, they still continue to exceed that of Georgia and the nation. Scores are 34 points higher than the state average in reading, 46 points higher in math and 44 points higher in writing – 124 points higher than the state’s overall average. Fulton students surpassed their national peers by 23 points in reading, 22 points in math and 30 points in writing, for an overall total of 75 points above the national average.
While Fulton’s SAT participation is still high – 75 percent in Fulton vs. 46 percent nationally – system leaders theorize that scores may have temporarily dipped due to a drop in 2009 test participation and a reduced number of students taking the SAT more than once. Research suggests that scores increase as students take the SAT several times and become more comfortable with the test’s structure, and therefore improve their performance. Also, test participation for the ACT is up 12 percent this year while SAT participation dropped 8 percent, suggesting that students may have taken both the SAT and ACT instead of repeating the SAT multiple times.
“We are pleased that our SAT average continues to significantly surpass the state and nation. While being 75 points above the national average is outstanding, we know there are more opportunities to challenge students,” said Superintendent Cindy Loe, Ph.D. “We’re not just looking at how to improve test scores; we’re looking at how we can provide students a more rigorous educational experience, such as increased access to honors classes and Advanced Placement courses. We know that these courses help prepare students for the SAT and a college-level curriculum.”
Individual School Highlights
Riverwood International Charter School, which increased its overall score by 72 points, showed a more than 20-point increase in each of the three reading, math and writing areas. Tri-Cities High School also increased by 35 points and Northview High School (+31) and Alpharetta High School (+28) showed double-digit gains as well.
In addition, three students from Alpharetta, Chattahoochee and Roswell high schools earned perfect 2400 scores on the test. Three students from Centennial, Milton and Roswell earned perfect 1600 scores on the combined math and reading sections. Two students from Milton and Northview scored 2390 on the test – a near-perfect score.
How Fulton Will Continue to Excel in SAT Scores
Research shows that students who take more rigorous courses, such as Advanced Placement and honors classes, traditionally score higher on the SAT. To continue Fulton’s tradition of high SAT performance, more teachers are being trained to become AP certified, particularly in schools that have opportunities to increase students taking AP courses.
In addition, PSAT testing occurs for students in grades 9, 10 and 11 to help strengthen their academic preparation and to identify personal strengths and weaknesses before they take the test. Kaplan® SAT preparation classes also are offered through high schools at reduced costs and free SAT prep classes are offered online through The College Board.
Changes to the Sections
According to The College Board, the SAT was changed in 2005 to better reflect what students are learning in high school. Instead of just a verbal and math section, the SAT now has three sections – critical reading, math and writing. Each is scored within a range of 200-800 points, combining for a total of 2400 rather than 1600.
Previously known as the verbal section, the critical reading section includes short and long reading passages. Analogies, which were included in the previous SAT, were removed because they are less connected to the current high school curriculum but sentence-completion questions remain.
The writing section requires students to write an essay similar to the type of writing required for in-class college essay exams. Students must take a position on an issue and use reasoning and examples to support their position. The writing section also includes multiple-choice questions that measure a student’s ability to identify sentence errors, improve sentences and improve paragraphs.
The 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 exponents. Quantitative comparisons from the previous SAT have been eliminated.
