Revised SAT stumps students for second year

The second year of a revised and longer SAT again led to lower scores nationally and among South Carolina students, according to results released Tuesday.

The college entrance exam saw lower scores last year after a new writing section was introduced, and the same held true this year.

South Carolina's average worsened to a composite math and critical reading score of 984, one point lower than last year. The state ranked 49th, despite having one of the top SAT improvement rates in the nation during the past decade. The national average was down four points to 1,017. The state's average writing score was 475 compared with the 494 national average.

The state is headed in the right direction, but it needs to have greater improvement at a faster rate, said state schools Superintendent Jim Rex.

While South Carolina's gains have been significant, the state will not see much more acceleration until it deals with some of its systemic issues, such as teacher shortages and school funding, Rex said.

"It may be that we've hit a point in education reform in the state and nation that we need to do more substantive change to keep up with the competition," he said.

Rex's priorities this year include creating a new funding system for the state's schools and elevating the teaching profession through pay increases and a public relations campaign.

Students who traditionally do well on the SAT take more-rigorous courses, especially in high school, so more schools need to offer tougher classes, Rex said. Parents and counselors also need to encourage students to take more-challenging classes, he said.

The Charleston County School District saw a nine-point gain in its average SAT composite math and reading score this year, pushing the district's average to 982. Eight of the district's 15 high schools had higher scores than last year. About 60 percent of the district's students took the test, the same percentage as last year.

Charleston County Superintendent Nancy McGinley credited the increase to the district's strong academic standards. The coherent curriculum, which ensures that the same information is taught in classrooms across the district, is used

in many high school courses, and teachers are effectively delivering instruction and pushing students to higher levels, McGinley said.

The district will emphasize writing in its high schools, increase the amount of time principals spend monitoring classroom instruction and make a reform plan for its high schools, which should positively affect future test results, McGinley said.

Berkeley County schools' average score of 984 stayed the same as last year and equals the state average. Stratford High had one of the Lowcountry's largest score increases, a 38-point jump from last year. Strat- ford's 2007 average math and reading composite score was three points higher than the national average.

Principal Jim Spencer attributed the gain to the school's teachers, as well as to a test score improvement plan that focused on advisement, data collection, motivation and administrative support. The school's nine guidance counselors held one-on-one meetings with seniors, making sure each student was taking appropriate courses that could lead to success on the exam and prepare him or her for college, Spencer said.

Stratford also provides a special incentive to students who perform well on the SAT. Names of students who score 1,100 or higher are engraved in the school's "Wall of Fame" near the front of the building.

Suburban Dorchester District 2 was the only local district with SAT scores that exceeded the state average for a composite score of 1,015 in math and reading. That score falls just short of the national average and is down seven points from last year.

Both Summerville and Fort Dorchester high schools saw slight declines but still boast some of the highest scores in the region. Mike Casey, the district's director of secondary education, said he's proud of students' performance but expects scores to rise again next year. Kaplan, a test preparation company, now offers SAT courses at a reduced rate after school and on weekends in both high schools, and Casey said he's confident the courses will lead to improvements.

The average score at rural Dorchester District 4's only high school, Woodland High, dropped six points to 914 this year.

Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@ postandcourier.com. Reach Mindy B. Hagen at 937-5433 or mhagen@postandcourier.com.