2004-05 SAT Test Scores

Cobb Students Hit High Mark
With SAT Average of 1040
Two-Point Increase Puts District Farther Ahead of Nation

Cobb County high school students have raised the bar again by posting the district’s highest-ever combined average SAT score. Cobb’s average score for Verbal and Math was 1040, two points higher than last year and 14 points higher than the national average of 1026. Statewide, seniors averaged 987, a gain of three points over 2003. Seven of Cobb County’s 14 participating high schools had averages higher than the national average, and three schools, Kennesaw Mountain, Pebblebrook and Wheeler, gained 15 points or more from 2003. Wheeler High School had an impressive increase of 66 points over 2003 SAT scores, and tested 97 percent of its graduating seniors.

Cobb seniors did well in each of the two areas tested by the SAT. The average Verbal score of 521 was 13 points higher than the national average (508) and 27 points higher than the average for Georgia (494). Math scores were up by one point at 519. The Cobb County Math score is 26 points higher than Georgia (493), and one point higher than the national average (518).

“Our SAT scores are steadily increasing and we are pleased to see that,” said Cobb Superintendent Joe Redden. “We are proud of the job our teachers are doing to challenge our students, and I think that has been reflected in some of our recent test scores. The ongoing efforts in the District to offer consistent instruction across all schools is clearly paying off.”

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. Two broad academic areas are included in the assessment. The verbal section measures a student’s ability to use vocabulary and comprehend complex reading passages while the mathematics section measures arithmetic reasoning along with geometry and algebra skills.

High school students take the SAT test voluntarily. In Cobb, 4,657 students out of 5,630 graduating seniors, or 83 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. However, even though the percentage of students taking the test in Cobb was almost twice as large as the percentage taking the test nationally, Cobb students scored higher than the national average. Superintendent Redden noted that this impressive achievement means that Cobb would rank high by any national comparison.

The scores released by the district reflect the most recent scores for the class of 2004. All scores are reported on the re-centered SAT score scale. Each section of the test is scored in a range of 200-800. 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. Individual school SAT scores are listed in Table II.

The comparative percentages of seniors found in various SAT intervals for Verbal and Mathematics are found in Figures IIa and IIb. Information concerning cautions on the use of aggregate SAT scores is included in Attachment I (Below).

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Attachment 1

A Note on the Use of Aggregate SAT Data

As measures of developed verbal and mathematical abilities important for success in college, SAT scores are useful in making decisions about individual students and assessing their academics preparation. Because of the increasing public interest in educational accountability, aggregate test data continue to be widely publicized and analyzed. Aggregate scores acan be considered one indicator of educational quality when used in conjunction with a careful examination of other conditions that affect the educational enterprise.

However, it is important to note that many College Board tests are taken only by particular groups of self-selected students. Therefore, aggregate results of their performance on these tests usually do not reflect the educational attainment of all students in a school, district, or state.

Useful comparisons of students’ performance are possible only if all students take the same test. Average SAT scores are not appropriate for stat comparisons because the percentage of SAT takers varies widely among states. In some states, a very small percentage of the college-bound seniors take the SAT. Typically, these students have strong academic backgrounds and are applicants to the nation’s most selective colleges and scholarship programs. Therefore, it is expected that the SAT verbal and mathematical averages reported for these states will be higher than the national average. In states where a greater proportion of students with a wide range of academic backgrounds take the SAT, and where most colleges in the state require the test for admission, the scores are closer to the national average.

In looking at average SAT scores, the user must understand the context in which the particular test scores were earned. Other factors variously related to performance on the SAT include academic courses studied in high school, family background, and education of parents. These factors and others of a less tangible nature could very well have a significant influence on average scores.

* From Guidelines on the Uses of College Board Test Scores and Related Data. Copyright © College Entrance Examination Board. All Rights Reserved.

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