Students in Virginia public schools generally outperformed their peers nationwide on the SAT college admissions test last year.
The nonprofit College Board, which manages the test, released nationwide test results on Tuesday. Average national scores for critical reading and mathematics fell seven points total from last year, the worst decline in 31 years. Including a newly added writing section, the average combined score nationwide was 1518 out of a possible 2400.
The class of 2006 was the first to take a revamped version of the SAT, which added 45 minutes to a test that was already three hours long.
Steve Corrozi, assistant vice president for the mid-Atlantic region at The Princeton Review, said he was not surprised at the drop in scores.
“It’s simply a very different test than it used to be,” he said. “Stamina is a huge factor in the test now.”
Students in Fairfax County Public Schools attained an average combined score of 1643, with slight declines in both critical reading and math. The average writing score was 535. Fairfax scores in every area were well above statewide and national averages.
The average combined score in Arlington Public Schools was 1620, which Superintendent Robert Smith said was the highest Arlington had ever recorded. Critical reading and math scores both increased to 544 and 545, respectively, with an average writing score of 531.
Alexandria City Public Schools reported a dramatic rise in scores over last year among the 350 seniors who took the SAT at T.C. Williams High School. About 62 percent of graduating students took the exam, with average scores of 512 in reading and 509 in both writing and math. The average combined score was 1530. Compared to last year, ACPS students scored 30 points higher in reading and 28 points higher in math than last year.
Almost 2,500 students in Prince William County’s 10 public high schools took the SAT last year for an average combined score of 1504, 14 points below the national average. Average scores were 507 in critical reading, 504 in math and 493 in writing.
The writing section consists of multiple-choice questions and a brief essay in which students are asked to respond to a stated opinion.
Nationwide, female students outperformed their male counterparts on the writing section across all racial and ethnic groups, scoring 11 points higher. The strong showing helped decrease the gap between male and female students from 42 to 26 points.
