|
|
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
FCPS SAT Scores Rise Again, ACT Scores Stable
Members of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) class of 2009 posted a composite SAT score of 1664—the highest since the SAT went from two sections to three sections in 2006 and the third consecutive year of increases in all three categories—while continuing to outpace students across Virginia and the nation according to figures released today by FCPS Superintendent Jack D. Dale. FCPS students posted average scores of 552 in Critical Reading, 569 in Mathematics, and 543 in Writing (see Table 1) according to results compiled by the College Board, administrators of the SAT.
This year’s most noteworthy gains were from Fairfax High School where students raised the school’s averages by double digits in all three sections. They increased their Critical Reading average by 20 points, their Mathematics average by 21 points, and their Writing average by 19 points. Madison High School was a close second as students improved the school’s averages by 19 points in Critical Reading, by 21 points in Mathematics, and by 16 points in Writing. West Potomac High School students improved their Critical Reading average by 21 points, their Mathematics average by 12 points, and their Writing by 8 points. In addition, FCPS, along with Centreville, Chantilly, Edison, McLean, Oakton, South Lakes, Westfield, and Woodson High Schools and Robinson and South County Secondary Schools improved their averages in all three categories (see Table 2).
"While the SATs are just one of several ways we measure student achievement, these scores are indicative of the academic strides our students are making," says Dale. "I am especially proud of our students and staff members, who continue to raise the bar, and of the significant improvement shown by our Hispanic students."
FCPS high school students increased their Mathematics average scores at 16 of 25 schools and their Critical Reading and Writing average scores at 15 of 25 schools. Double-digit increases were reported at 8 of the 25 high schools in Mathematics, at 6 high schools in Critical Reading, and at 4 high schools in Writing (see Table 2).
Other highlights of the SAT results for FCPS, using data reported by College Board, include:
- The FCPS average in Critical Reading increased by 5 points when compared to 2008 results. Mathematics scores increased by 4 points, and Writing scores improved by 1 point (see Table 1).
- FCPS Hispanic students increased their 2009 Critical Reading scores by 11 points, their Mathematics scores by 10 points, and their Writing scores by 5 points (see Table 3).
- FCPS Asian students decreased their Critical Reading scores by 3 points but increased their 2009 Mathematics scores by 4 points and their Writing scores by 1 point (see Table 3).
- FCPS Black students increased their 2009 Critical Reading scores by 5 points, remained the same in Mathematics, and increased their Writing scores by 1 point (see Table 3).
- FCPS White students increased their 2009 Critical Reading scores by 8 points, their Mathematics scores by 5 points, and their Writing scores by 2 points (see Table 3).
- FCPS Asian students exceeded the state average for Asian students by 20 points in Critical Reading, by 30 points in Mathematics, and by 23 points in Writing (see Table 3).
- FCPS Black students exceeded the state average for Black students by 38 points in Critical Reading, by 44 points in Mathematics, and by 41 points in Writing (see Table 3).
- FCPS Hispanic students exceeded the state average for Hispanic students by 10 points in Critical Reading, by 21 points in Mathematics, and by 13 points in Writing (see Table 3).
- FCPS White students exceeded the state average for White students by 41 points in Critical Reading, by 50 points in Mathematics, and by 44 points in Writing (see Table 3).
- FCPS average scores for Asian students exceeded national averages for Asian students by 26 points in Critical Reading, by 17 points in Mathematics, and by 26 points in Writing (see Table 3).
- FCPS average scores for Black students exceeded national averages for Black students by 43 points in Critical Reading, by 45 points in Mathematics, and by 43 points in Writing (see Table 3).
- FCPS Hispanic students exceeded the national average for Hispanic students by 49 points in Critical Reading scores, by 50 points in their Mathematics scores, and by 44 points in their 2009 Writing scores (see Table 3).
- FCPS average scores for White students exceeded the national average for White students by 49 points in Critical Reading, by 47 points in Mathematics, and by 47 points in Writing (see Table 3).
- FCPS average scores for Critical Reading increased 5 points, for Mathematics increased 4 points, and for Writing increased 1 point when compared to 2008 results (see Table 1).
- The state average in Critical Reading and Mathematics remained constant, while the Writing average decreased by 1 point when compared to 2008 results (see Table 1).
- The national averages in Mathematics remained constant while averages for Critical Reading and Writing decreased by 1 point when compared with the 2008 scores (see Table 1).
ACT Scores Stable for Students in Fairfax County Public Schools
The ACT tests are designed to measure the skills needed for success in first-year college coursework. The tests represent a curriculum-based measure of college readiness and include tests of academic achievement in English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science, with Writing as an optional test. The number of FCPS students taking the ACT increased to 3,237 from 2,145 tested in 2007, with average ACT scores stable across all categories. Table 4 shows the three-year trend of the division’s ACT-tested graduates as compared to the state and nation as reported by ACT, Inc.
Table 4 contains the average ACT scores for FCPS, Virginia, and the nation for the past three years as reported by ACT, Inc.
Attachments:
Document: Description of the SAT and Cautions in Interpreting School Results
Table 1: SAT Average Scores for Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia, and the Nation, 2007 through 2009, as reported by the College Board.
Table 2: SAT Average Scores by High School for Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia, and the Nation, 2007 through 2009, as reported by the College Board.
Table 3: SAT Average Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing Scores for Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia, and the Nation by Race or Ethnicity, 2007 through 2009, as reported by the College Board.
Table 4: ACT Five-Year Trends–Average ACT Scores for Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia, and the Nation, 2007-2009, as reported by ATC, Inc.
Description of the SAT and Cautions in Interpreting School Results
Description of the SAT
The new SAT® was administered for the first time in March 2005 for the class of 2006. The SAT Subject Tests™ form a series of one-hour tests, mostly multiple-choice tests, that measure how much students know about particular academic subjects and how well they can apply that knowledge. The SAT assesses student reasoning based on knowledge and skills developed by the students in their coursework. A third measure of skills—Writing— is optional and assists with better admissions and placement decisions. Results for SAT® and SAT Subject Tests™ are reported in three-digit scaled scores on a 200- to 800-point scale. The SAT Writing multiple-choice measure is reported on a scale of 20 to 80, and the SAT Writing essay is reported on a scale of 0, 2 to 12. The report summarizes data for high school graduates in the year 2009 who participated in the SAT program at any time during their high school years through March 2009. Students are counted only once, no matter how often they tested, and only their latest and most recent responses are used.
Suggested Uses of Test Results
This report can be used to study changes over time in the characteristics of students taking SAT tests. The results help provide a look at year-to-year educational demographic changes in the population, along with changes in test performance. Scores of individual students can be interpreted within the broader context of data aggregated across groups of college-bound seniors.
Cautions in Interpreting School Test Results
Readers are cautioned not to rely too heavily on test scores as measures of instructional quality and not to use test scores exclusively to compare schools, areas, or school systems. Any interpretation of SAT results should take into account the following:
- The SAT does not attempt to assess any specific local high school curriculum or a more general "national curriculum."
- The multiple-choice format limits the type of questions that can be asked and the skills that can be covered. For instance, students are not asked to write a sentence or a paragraph. This test does not assess listening or oral communication skills nor does it attempt to measure such work-related attributes as reasonability, initiative, and creativity.
- Each year’s average score for a school represents the results for a completely different group of students.
- The average scores of students in smaller high schools will tend to vary more from year to year than will the average scores of students from larger schools.
- Average scores for schools do not give information about how many students scored at a high level or a low level. In each school, many students may score at a high level, and many others may score at a low level.
- Relationships between test scores and other factors such as educational background, gender, racial or ethnic background, parental education, and household income do not directly affect test performance and are associated with educational experiences both on tests such as the SAT and in schoolwork.
- Since all students in a school, school system, or state do not take the SAT, and since the population of test takers is self-selected, using aggregate SAT scores to compare or evaluate teachers, schools, systems, states, or other education units is not valid, and the College Board strongly discourages such use.
Adapted from A Profile of SAT Program Test Takers and the District Profile Report by the College Board.
###
Note: For more information, contact Kathleen Oliver, director, FCPS Office of Student Testing, at 703-208-7776.
|
