Scores on the national SAT test fell slightly in Rowan County but continued to rise throughout North Carolina and the United States.
North Carolina’s average score on the test for college-bound high school students moved up four points in 2000-01 to 992. That put it closer to the national average of 1020, which was up just one point.
In Rowan-Salisbury Schools, the average score on the Scholastic Assessment Test fell from 986 to 976.
“What you have is the natural undulating performance of the senior class,” said Matthew Sullivan, director of high school curriculum for the Rowan-Salisbury Schools. “It is real difficult to pinpoint why a particular senior class’s SAT scores go up or down.
“...Over five years, we’ve still made more progress than the state or nation.”
Among Rowan County’s five high schools, those testing at Salisbury High performed the best, scoring an average 1006. Principal Dr. Windsor Eagle said while that’s good news, long-term growth is the ideal.
“I think it’s a lot of hard work by the students and the teachers,” Eagle said. “Idon’t know that we did anything different with this particular class, but it’s something that’s not as consistent as we’d like it to be.”
The SATaverage at North Rowan High plummetted, falling to 888 — its lowest level in at least five years. Last year, however, that school had the largest gain, from 901 to 980.
North Rowan Principal H.K. Gaster could not be reached for comment this morning.
Sullivan said he’d like to see the school system work as a whole to help students prepare for the SAT. Currently, Rowan-Salisbury’s high schools now use their own methods.
“I’d like to see more systemic, more broad efforts to bring up SATscores,” he said.
The College Board, which conducts the test, said students generally do better if they’ve taken advanced placement, or AP, courses in high school. Salisbury High had a high percentage of students who took APcourses last year, Sullivan said.
The state has improved its total score each year since 1989, except in 1994 when there was no change from the previous year, according to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
North Carolina also has the 12th largest participation rate of SAT takers in the nation; it is tied with Maryland. Last year, approximately 44,200 N.C. students took the SAT. Generally, the higher the percentage of students taking the SAT, the lower the score, state education officials say.
The mathematics portion of the test increased by three points in North Carolina to 499. The verbal score went up by one point to 493.
In Rowan County, the average score on the math portion was 491, down three points from last year; the verbal score was 485, down seven points.
The SAT report presents results for students scheduled to graduate in 2001 and represents students’ most recent scores, regardless of when they last took the test.
The SAT measures a student’s reasoning, verbal and math skills against the skills needed to be successful in freshman level college coursework. The primary use for SAT scores is as a tool for admissions officials at colleges and universities.
Contact Brad A. Hodges at 704-797-4266 or bhodges@salisburypost.com
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