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Thursday, August 28, 2008 10:26 AM Wilson County SAT scores down from 2007 By Stephanie Creech | Times Senior Writer Wilson County Schools Superintendent Larry Price says the SAT results released earlier this week "underscore the unpredictability of year-to-year performance." The scores for 2008 show that overall Wilson County Schools' performance dropped a few points in the areas of critical reading and writing when compared to 2007. However, the overall score for math remained the same. The district's total score in 2007 was 1426. It dropped to 1423 in 2008, representing a three-point change. "That the school system's total score remains essentially unchanged is the result of turbulent fluctuations in school-level scores," Price said. At Hunt High School, for example, overall scores rose from 1433 in 2007 to 1479 representing a 46-point gain. Hunt students posted double-digit gains in math, critical reading and writing when compared to 2007. Math scores rose 17 points, while critical reading scores rose 18 points and writing scores rose 11 points. However, not as many students at Hunt took the SAT in 2008 compared to 2007. In 2007, 134 students took the test compared to 118. Scores dropped across the board at Fike High School when compared to 2007. Math scores dropped 15 points. Critical reading and writing scores both dropped six points each. Fike's overall score dropped by 27 points. Nine fewer students took the test in 2008. At Beddingfield High, scores dropped 65 points overall from 2007 to 2008. Scores in math dropped 10 points while critical reading scores dropped 29 points. In writing, scores dropped 26 points. Like the other two schools, Beddingfield had fewer students taking the SAT. In 2007, 86 Beddingfield students took the SAT compared to 66 in 2008. "Producing predictable outcomes, like managing the behavior of children, takes time, consistency and commitment," Price said. "In the short term, there are few authentic conclusions to draw from SAT results except the obvious one -- we must continue to improve our high schools to graduate our students ready for college and students must study and work hard to develop the skills and knowledge needed to be ready for college." The number of students taking the SAT each year varies. It's difficult to make year-to-year comparisons because the test is taken by different students each year. Sixty-three percent of students in North Carolina took the SAT in 2008. The SAT is the most commonly taken college admissions test take by students in North Carolina. Johnston County leaders attribute some of their improved scores to what Debbie Woodruff, executive director for secondary education for Johnston County Schools, described as a "revitalized SAT improvement plan." Johnston County's critical reading scores rose three points to 498 in 2008. Math scores rose by four points to 521, while writing scores dropped three points to 479 from 482 in 2007. A total of 697 students in Johnston County Schools took the SAT compared to 687 in 2007. Students at North Johnston High School posted a four-point gain in math with scores increasing to 544 from 540 in 2007. Critical reading and writing scores dropped at North Johnston. Critical reading scores dropped from 500 in 2007 to 479 representing a 21-point drop, while writing scores dropped by five points from 482 in 2007 to 477. North Johnston had 48 students take the SAT down from 50 students in 2007. "We are extremely pleased with our improved scores," Anthony Parker, superintendent of Johnston County Schools said. "Our teachers, parents, and students are to be commended for their hard work in preparing for this important testing event. We are very excited that each and every high school in Johnston County has an average SAT score at or above 1,000 for the first time in the history of the district." Nash-Rocky Mount Schools had a combined overall SAT score of 1423 up from 1402 in 2007. The school district had 475 students take the SAT. The district posted double digit gains in math and critical reading. Writing scores grew by two points. At Southern Nash High School, 91 students took the SAT in 2008 down from 120 students in 2007. Math, critical reading and writing scores improved at the school. In critical reading, for example, scores rose from 462 in 2007 at Southern Nash to 484 for 2008 representing a 22-point gain. creech@wilsontimes.com | 265-7822 |
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