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Expanded, Toughened Test Includes
Reading, Math and Writing
Cobb County’s senior class of 2006
outperformed their peers on the national SAT test for college
readiness. With a combined score of Reading, Math, and Writing
averages, Cobb high school seniors posted an average total
score of 1538, or 20 points higher than the national average
of 1518, and 61 points higher than the Georgia average of
1477.
The revised SAT was given for the first
time in March of 2006 and included changes to the Math and
Verbal portions of the test. In the new SAT, the Verbal
section has been replaced with Reading, and Writing has been
added as the third major component of the exam. Changes to the
Math section include the addition of Algebra II problems.
Likely as a result of the new test format
and the addition of Algebra II, scores declined in Reading and
Math in Cobb, Georgia and nationally. Cobb students’ scores
dropped eight points from 525 to 517, while the national
average for Reading fell five points, from 508 to 503. The
average Reading score for the state dropped three points to
494.
In Math the decrease was smaller, with
Cobb’s average dropping five points to 517. Nationally,
seniors scored 518, two points lower than last year. The state
Math average was unchanged. The combined average score for
Reading and Math in Cobb County was 1034, or 13 points higher
than the national average and 44 points higher than the state
average.
On the new Writing section of the SAT, Cobb
seniors scored 504, seven points above the national average
and 17 points higher than the state average (487). Added to
the combined total (Reading+Math+Writing), Cobb seniors
average 1538, compared to the national average of 1518 and the
state average of 1477.
Despite the slight decline in Reading and
Math scores, Dr. Diane Bradford, chief academic officer for
Cobb schools, pointed out that the new test is more rigorous
and better reflects the expectations for college-bound
seniors. “These scores affirm the ability of our seniors to
transition to college and continue to be successful,” said Dr.
Bradford.
Two Cobb County students attained the
ultimate mark of perfection, each posting a perfect score of
2400 on the three-section test. The students are Michael
Clark of Lassiter High School who is currently attending
the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Livia Zarnescu of
Pope High School who is currently attending the University
of Arizona. In addition, five other Cobb County students
achieved perfect 1600 scores on the Reading and Math sections.
In looking at average scores by schools, seven of Cobb’s 14
high schools had combined totals higher than the national
average of 1518. Walton High School’s seniors scored an
average of 1705, nearly 200 points higher than the nation, and
Lassiter High School’s average was 119 points above the
national average. Students at six district high schools had
scores at or above their average for last year.
Cobb Superintendent Fred Sanderson said the
results position Cobb students as leaders not just in Georgia,
but nationally. “It is not unexpected to see a slight drop-off
when the test format is expanded and toughened,” said
Sanderson. “But overall, I am very pleased to see our
students’ combined score is well ahead of the national
average. That means the education Cobb County students receive
today places them at an advantage for college admissions, and
means they are better prepared to take on a college
curriculum.”
The SAT is used to predict a student’s
potential for success in the first year of college and is
required for admission to most colleges and universities. The
three broad academic areas included in the assessment are
Reading, Math, and Writing. The new writing section of the
test asks students to write an essay that requires them to
take a position on an issue and use reasoning and examples to
support their position. The revised Math section of the test
includes topics from third-year college-preparatory math, such
as exponential growth, absolute value, functional notation,
and negative and fractional exponents. The Critical Reading
section, previously known as the Verbal section, includes
short and long reading passages. Analogies have been
eliminated, but sentence-completion questions remain.
High school students take the SAT
voluntarily. In Cobb, 4,985 students out of 6,407 graduating
seniors, or 78 percent, took the SAT at least once during
their four years of high school. In contrast, only 48 percent
took the test nationally. Generally, a higher percentage of
students taking the test results in a lower mean score.
Many factors affect SAT scores from year to
year, including the percentage of students taking the test
(scores tend to fall as percentages rise), student academic
preparation, knowledge of English, parents’ education, and
locality. Cobb information shows that the higher the grades
and rank-in-class achieved, generally the higher the mean SAT
scores.
Parents who desire more information about
their student’s SAT scores should contact counselors in the
local high school who can provide proper interpretation to
help make the best use of test results. The change in the SAT
has led some colleges and universities to change their
admissions policies beginning with the class of 2006. Seniors
who took the SAT prior to March of 2006 should contact
institutions to which they are applying to find out if
admission policies have changed.
Individual
school SAT scores and a comparison of changes to the new SAT
can be found here.
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