SAT Scores at Area Schools Slip
Results Remain Above U.S. Average

By William Wan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, September 3, 2006

Reflecting the experience nationwide, Southern Maryland SAT scores reported last week showed a dip among the area's high school Class of 2006. The decline in overall average SAT scores varied from 12 points in Calvert County to a more dramatic 59 points in Charles County.

The numbers, released Tuesday by the College Board, the New York-based nonprofit testing company that administers the SAT, were the first results from the revamped examination that included modifications to the math and critical reading sections and a new writing section. The reading part of the test was formerly called the verbal section.

College Board officials attributed the lower scores nationwide to fewer students taking the test more than once and to other changes in student behavior. Some students and counselors, however, blamed the increased length of the test -- it is now 3 hours and 45 minutes -- which they think led to fatigue among test-takers.

Calvert students fared the best in Southern Maryland last year, with a total average score of 1543 of a possible 2400. The county's scores also dropped the least, by five points in math and seven in reading.

Calvert High School had the county's biggest drop in score -- down 36 points in math, to 487, and 24 in reading, to 499.

"The addition of the writing test probably had some effect on overall performance. And there was also a decrease in the number of students taking the test," said Ted Haynie, director of system performance for Calvert public schools.

"To be honest," he said, "there are a lot of reasons we could spin out, but obviously, the scores indicate we have to do some reexamination overall, especially in light of the new test."

Huntingtown and Northern high schools bucked the general trend and raised their scores. Huntingtown boosted its math and reading scores by 27 and 26 points, respectively. The school is new, and an influx of students more than doubled the number of seniors taking the SAT last year.

At Northern High -- where the average math score inched up four points and reading five -- the increase was harder to explain, Haynie said. "I wouldn't say there's any magic bullet, but we're pleased with how they did."

In Charles County, the 512 average score in reading was 30 points lower than last year's verbal score, and the average score in math was off 29 points, to 515. Charles public school officials released the new results Tuesday but didn't include the previous year's scores, saying the new test was too different from the old for a fair comparison.

"It's apples and oranges because they changed the test and the categories," said spokeswoman Katie O'Malley-Simpson, who noted that the county's scores remained above the state and national averages.

SAT officials disagreed with that analysis.

"Yes, the writing is a new test and there were new changes, but the math and reading can be accurately compared to students' scores on the old test," SAT spokesman Brian O'Reilly said. "What happened doesn't have to do with the content of the test but a possible change in student behavior."

Among Charles schools, Lackey High scored lowest in all three categories and showed the deepest decline -- losing a combined 90 points in math and reading from the previous year. McDonough High fared the best overall, posting a 12-point increase in math and dropping 17 points in reading, to 526.

"This was a new test last year, and I am pleased with the preparation offered to students and their performance on this test," Superintendent James E. Richmond said in a statement. "We know that scores are going to fluctuate from year to year."

Like their Calvert and Charles counterparts, St. Mary's schools stayed above the national and state averages, but students nonetheless recorded a 12-point drop in math and a 13-point drop in reading.

Chopticon High School scored highest in all three categories, gaining 16 points in math over last year and seven points in reading. But the percentage of students tested decreased.

Leonardtown High School dropped 20 points in math and 11 in reading. Great Mills posted the lowest average scores in the county, dropping 22 points in math and 34 in reading.