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Curator: Rose Kaspersen
Rose.Kaspersen@fcps.edu

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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

FCPS High School Students Again Surpass SAT Scores for the State and Nation; ACT Scores Rise

Members of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) class of 2008 have outperformed their counterparts in Virginia and across the nation on the SAT with an average score of 1654 on the three-part test, according to figures released today by FCPS Superintendent Jack D. Dale.  (See table 1.) FCPS average SAT total scores showed overall improvement of 15 points, up from 1639 in 2007, as well as improvement in all three categories:  Critical Reading (547), Mathematics (565), and Writing (542).    This is the highest average score for FCPS since the SAT expanded from two to three sections in 2006 with the addition of a test in writing.

Several FCPS schools showed significant improvements in their average SAT scores.  Students at Herndon High School raised their school’s averages by double-digits in all three sections: Critical Reading was up 15 points to 546, Mathematics was up 14 points to 554, and Writing was up 16 points to 536. Students at Lee High School also improved their school’s averages by double digits, showing the biggest increase of any Fairfax County school by raising their Mathematics average 27 points to 534.  Lee High’s Critical Reading was 514, an increase of 14 points, and the school’s Writing average increased by 15 points to 515.  Falls Church High School also had double digit improvements of 23 points to 521 in Critical Reading and of 18 points to 536 in Mathematics.  Marshall and Oakton High Schools had double-digit average score improvements in Mathematics and Writing.  South County Secondary School’s second graduating class showed an increase in its averages for all three sections. FCPS high schools showed gains in Mathematics scores at 18 of 25 schools and in Writing for 17 of 25 schools.  Nine of the 17 high schools showing improvement in Writing increased their averages by double-digits. (See table 2.)

“The increase in scores at these schools is noteworthy and deserves recognition,” said Dale.  “It shows dedication on the part of the students who are headed toward college as well as the teachers who help prepare them for higher education.”

Highlights of the SAT I results for FCPS using College Board-reported data include:

  • The FCPS average in Critical Reading increased by 2 points when compared to 2007 results.  Mathematics scores increased by 6 points, and Writing scores improved by 7 points.  (See table 1.)
  • FCPS Asian students increased their 2008 Critical Reading scores by 9 points, their Mathematics score by 6 points, and their Writing scores by 12 points. (See table 3.)
  • FCPS Black students decreased their Critical Reading scores by 3 points but increased their 2008 Mathematics scores by 7 points and their 2007 Writing scores by 5 points. (See table 3.)
  • FCPS Hispanic students decreased their Critical Reading and Mathematics scores by 2 points and increased their 2008 Writing scores by 5 points.  (See table 3.)
  • FCPS White students increased their 2008 Critical Reading scores by 4 points and their Mathematics and Writing scores by 8 points each.  (See table 3.)
  • FCPS Asian students exceeded the state average for Asian students by 23 points in Critical Reading, by 28 points in Mathematics, and by 24 points in Writing. (See table 3.)
  • FCPS Black students exceeded the state average for Black students by 34 points in Critical Reading, by 44 points in Mathematics, and by 38 points in Writing. (See table 3.)
  • FCPS Hispanic students exceeded the state average for Hispanic students by 4 points in Critical Reading, by 14 points in Mathematics, and by 10 points in Writing. (See table 3.)
  • FCPS White students exceeded the state average for White students by 34 points in Critical Reading, by 45 points in Mathematics, and by 41 points in Writing. (See table 3.)
  • FCPS average scores for Asian students exceeded the national average for Asian students by 32 points in Critical Reading, by 19 points in Mathematics, and by 29 points in Writing. (See table 3.)
  • FCPS average scores for Black students exceeded the national average for Black students by 37 points in Critical Reading, by 45 points in Mathematics, and by 39 points in Writing. (See table 3).
  • FCPS average scores for Hispanic students exceeded the national average for Hispanic students by 37 points in Critical Reading, by 40 points in Mathematics, and by 39 points in Writing. (See table 3.)
  • FCPS average scores for White students exceeded the national average for White students by 41 points in Critical Reading, by 41 points in  Mathematics, and by 44 points in Writing. (See table 3.)
  • FCPS average scores for White students increased 8 points to 578 for Mathematics, their highest ever.  (See table 3.)
  • The state average in Critical Reading remained constant, while Mathematics and Writing scores each increased by 1 point when compared to 2007 results. (See table 1.)
  • The national averages in Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing remained constant when compared with the 2007 scores. (See table 1.)

Table 1 contains the SAT scores, as reported by the College Board, which uses the scores of every student who took the SATs and who identified him- or herself as a member of the graduating class of 2008 at the time of testing.

Table 2 contains the average scores for each FCPS high school, as reported by the College Board.

Table 3 contains the average scores by ethnic category, as reported by the College Board.

The ACT, a curriculum-based measure of college readiness, includes tests of academic achievement in English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing test.  These tests are designed to measure the skills needed for success in first-year college coursework.  Table 4 shows the three-year trend of the division’s ACT-tested graduates.  Over the years, the number of FCPS students taking the ACT has increased to 2,827 in 2008 from 1,524 in 2006.  This change was mirrored throughout Virginia with an increase in the number from 11,519 in 2006 to 16,896 in 2008.  Average ACT scores have risen across all categories in FCPS and in Virginia.  (See table 4.)

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Note:  For more information, contact Kathleen Oliver, director of the FCPS Office of Student Testing, at 703-208-7776.

Description of the SAT and Cautions in Interpreting School Results

Description of the SAT

The SAT is a three-hour-and-45-minutes test that measures critical reading, mathematical reasoning, and writing skills that students have developed over time and that they need in order to be successful in college.  The new SAT is better aligned with current curriculum and institutional practices in high school and college.  By including a third measure of skills—writing—the SAT reinforces the importance of better admissions and placement decisions.  The new SAT was administered for the first time in March 2005 for the class of 2006.  Results are reported in three-digit scaled scores on a 200- to 800-point scale.  This report summarizes information for 2008 seniors who took the SAT at any time during their high school years through June 2008.

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 school will tend to vary more from year to year than 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.

  • 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 by the College Board.

Attachments:  Tables 1-4

Table 1: SAT Average Scores for Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia, and the Nation, 2006 through 2008, as reported by the College Board.

Table 2: SAT Average Scores by High Schools for Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia, and the Nation, 2006 through 2008, as reported by the College Board.

Table 3: SAT Average Scores by Ethnicity for Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia, and the Nation, 2006 through 2008, as reported by the College Board.

Table 4 contains the ACT scores as reported by ACT, Inc.