Slide of Madison SAT scores continues

From staff reports
Published: September 5, 2008

New Madison County average SAT test scores released last month show double-digit decreases in all three subject areas from last year.

Average SAT scores for Madison County High School Class of 2008 students were:

• 497 in critical reading, 22 points below last year’s average.

• 501 in math, an 18-point decrease.

• 495 in writing, down 16 points.

(The average combined math and reading score for Madison was 998 – 40 points lower than last year’s Madison average.)

“There is a normal fluctuation when you’re looking at just one high school,” Madison County Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Tanner said of the decline in scores. “With a smaller group, you’re going to see a fluctuation that you don’t see as much on the state and national level.”

Madison County’s average scores for 2008 fell behind both state and national averages, according to numbers provided by school officials. The national SAT score averages remained constant this year while Virginia’s average scores increased by one point in both math and writing.

The recently released statistics reflect MCHS 2008 graduates who took the SAT at any time during their high school years through June 2008. If a student took the test more than once, the most recent score was used.

Many colleges use the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), administered by the College Board, to help decide whether or not to admit a student. However, colleges also consider students’ grade point averages as well as extracurricular activities and the level of difficulty of classes, which Madison County school officials have worked to develop at the high school, according to Tanner.

While Madison County’s 2008 SAT scores were lower than the year before, a hundred Class of 2008 seniors received Advanced Studies diplomas, a quarter increase of the number of students that received this same degree the year before, the superintendent said. To receive an Advanced Studies diploma a student is required to take additional credits and some advanced courses.

“We’re focusing more on the level of rigor of our classes and the number of course offerings than a particular test score,” Tanner said.

In 2005, the SAT was changed with the addition of a new essay writing section. The math and critical reading test scores can be compared to the previous math and verbal scores, according to the college board’s Web site.

More than 1.5 million students in the class of 2008 took the SAT nationwide. State and national reports are available online at http://www.collegeboard.com.

2006
*Critical Reading – 532
*Math – 531
*Writing – 519

2007
*Critical Reading – 519
*Math – 519
*Writing – 511

2008
*Critical Reading – 497
*Math – 501
*Writing – 495

— Source: Madison County Public Schools