GCPS SAT Score Up 7 Points; DHS Down 13

SAT scores for students in the Class of 2012 attending Gwinnett County Public Schools including Duluth High School are higher that the national and state averages for 2012, according to results released by the school system.

The Class of 2012 is the sixth class to take the new version of the SAT, which features a writing section.

The GCPS average composite SAT score was up by seven points in 2012 over 2011. Duluth’s High School’s 2012 average composite score dropped 13 points from 2011.

Duluth High School’s Class of 2012 scored averages of 504 in reading, 533 in math, and 494 in writing for an average composite score of 1531. The average test results for 2011 were 508 in reading, 538 in math and 498 in writing for an average composite score of 1544.

The national average composite score for 2012 is 1498, and the Georgia composite average for 2012 is 1452. Duluth HS’s 2012 average composite score was 33 points above the national average and 79 points above the state average.

Gwinnett test-takers topped state and national averages on all sections (critical reading, math, and writing) of the test, a press release issued by GCPS announced. While the national SAT average dipped, both state and local averages increased. More GCPS students are also taking the SAT and preparing for college.

“This year’s results are good news for Gwinnett County Public Schools,” stated CEO/Supt. J. Alvin Wilbanks in the announcement. “I am pleased with the progress our schools are making as a whole. We know that SAT scores are a benchmark used by many to assess how well schools are doing, and this increase is something we should celebrate. However, we also know there is still work to be done in terms of helping all students achieve at higher levels, and we are committed to making that happen.”

Here are highlights of Gwinnett scores:

• Gwinnett’s average composite score on the SAT is 1518, a combination of the average critical reading score of 503, the average mathematics score of 522, and the average writing score of 493. (Possible scores range from 200 to 800 on each section. The highest possible composite score is 2400.)
• Gwinnett’s total SAT average is 20 points above the national average of 1498.
• Gwinnett’s average is 66 points above the Georgia average of 1452.
• Over the past two years, GCPS has experienced a 23.4 percent increase in SAT participation. In 2010, 6,320 students took the SAT in Gwinnett. This past year, Gwinnett had 7,798 SAT test takers. That is an increase of 1,478 test takers over a two-year period.

Individual school results and system results can be found on the chart accompanying this article.

Besides a writing section, several other things differentiate the new version of the SAT from previous tests. The reading section features passages that require a deeper knowledge of vocabulary and contextual understanding. The mathematics section includes questions testing student knowledge of Algebra II, which was not assessed in the previous version of the SAT.