From CSD Superintendent Dr. Phyllis Edwards…

Decatur, GA (2011)- Recently-released Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores show Decatur seniors scoring above state and national averages. 89% of Decatur’s graduating class took the SAT. The state average SAT composite score dropped from 1453 to 1445. The national average SAT composite score dropped from 1509 to 1500. The Decatur average SAT composite score increased from 1513 to 1518.

The Critical Reading section on the SAT offers the highest scores in Decatur. The 516 average (800 is a perfect score on this sub-test) is 19 points above the nation and 31 points above Georgia.

Math continues to be an area where improvement is needed. Decatur math scores stayed at 503. State math scores dropped to 487.

The gap between Decatur black and white students dropped from 495 to 421. Black students made significant gains, particularly in critical reading as scores increased from 417 to 441. Decatur’s black students outperformed other black students in critical reading, math, and writing at the state and national levels.

Read the rest of this entry »

According to data released from the Georgia Department of Education this morning [here the Excel file], 161 Decatur Seniors who took the SATs did 5 points better than their counterparts last year, with a total score of 1518.  Decatur High’s statewide ranking also increased a bit to 59th (out of 406 schools), up from the 66th position last year.  However scores still are a ways behind 2009 levels, when the school system ranked 30th in the state with a total score of 1577.

Both Math and Reading scores actually didn’t change at all vs. last year, at 503 and 516, respectively.  The five point total score growth was due entirely to a five point increase in the school’s writing score to 499 from 494.

Last year, Superintendent Edwards noted that math scores had declined for 5 straight years, and since then the school system has made reversing that trend a priority.  While the trend wasn’t technically reversed this year, With math down 2 points statewide, an unchanged score could be seen as a good indication halting declines seen in math previously.

Bigger picture, the GDOE release states…

Georgia’s public, private and home school students scored 1,445 on the SAT, a six point decrease from 2010. The national average was 1,500, also a six point decrease from 2010. Public school students scored 1,431 on the exam and the national average score was 1,483.

 

Decatur High School’s average score on Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) declined versus last year, according to data released on September 13th.

After DHS’s total score climbed 22 points to 1577 in 2009, the high school registered a 64 point decline in 2010 with a 1513 total score.  Decatur High’s statewide ranking also fell accordingly, down from 30th last year to 66th in 2010, according to data provided by the AJC. “Reading” scores declined the most of the three subject areas, down 25 points from last year to a 516.  “Math” scores also fell, down 20 points to a 503, while average scores for “Writing” fell 19 points to 494.

A statement by the City Schools of Decatur sent to Decatur Metro this morning acknowledged the school system’s recent declines, but noted that Decatur still placed in the top 25% of Georgia high schools with 100 students or more who took the test.  It also highlighted Decatur High’s Reading scores, which are up 5% over the past five years.

However, Superintendent Phyllis Edwards acknowledged there was room for improvement in Math. “There is a five-year downward trend for math in Decatur and we are going to reverse that.”

The statement also noted that Decatur High boasted a 91% participation rate on the 2010 SATs, while “many schools in the top 30 have less than 40% of their students take the SAT”.

Superintendent Edwards stated she was “proud of the direction DHS is taking in encouraging more students to take these tests and gain experience on this type of test-taking. This approach says it is more important to allow students opportunities at test-taking even at the risk of lower overall test scores.”  According to the AJC data, 21 more Decatur students took the test in 2010 than in 2009.

The national 2010 SAT average was a 1509.

The AJC just posted this list of the top performing high schools in Atlanta metro counties, along with Decatur and Marietta city schools.

Atlanta City Schools, Henry W. Grady High School, 1498

Cherokee County, Creekview High School, 1588

Clayton County, Mount Zion High School, 1329

Cobb County, Walton High School, 1722

Decatur City, Decatur High School, 1577

DeKalb County, Chamblee High School, 1662

Forsyth County, South Forsyth High School, 1622

Fulton County, Northview High School, 1722

Gwinnett County, Brookwood High School, 1625

Marietta City, Marietta High School, 1514

Looking at the AJC’s top 25 Georgia high schools by average SAT score list , it looks like Decatur finished just outside of the top 25, as the lowest high school on the list posted a 1596.

…down 19 points vs. 2007, but its scores are still up vs. 2006.

Also, Decatur’s scores are still much better than those of DeKalb (1338), the state of Georgia (1466) and the national (1511) average.

Here’s the data from the past three years.

2008: Total: 1555 – Verbal: 530, Math: 513, Writing: 512

2007: Total: 1574 – Verbal: 537, Math: 527, Writing: 510

2006: Total: 1534 – Verbal: 511, Math: 521, Writing: 502

Thanks to the Georgia Dept. of Education for making this data so freakin’ hard to find online.