Gastonia, N.C. – According to the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) results released today by the College Board, Gaston County Schools saw an increase in its average SAT score while the state and national averages declined.

Gaston County’s score of 1430 on the combined total of the verbal, mathematics, and writing sections of the SAT is four points higher than last year.  The state SAT average decreased five points and the national dipped six points.

The average score for Gaston County Schools on the math section of the SAT is 495, up three points over last year.  The average on the verbal part is 480, an increase of two points.  GCS students scored 455 on the writing portion. 

GCS had 1,136 students in the Class of 2011 to take the SAT, which is 58.7 percent of the senior class.  The SAT is not a required test for high school students, and students generally assume the costs and decide when they will take the college entrance exam.

Highland achieved the highest total countywide with 1546 – a score which is 71 points above the state average and 46 points above the national average.  Hunter Huss, North Gaston, and South Point had the greatest double-digit gains over last year.

Superintendent L. Reeves McGlohon stated, “We are extremely pleased that our students continue to show steady improvement on the SAT.  The Gaston County average score is four points higher than last year and eight points higher than two years ago.  We also have more students taking the SAT.” 

McGlohon continues, “I believe the increases are a result of our high schools focusing on a more relevant and rigorous academic program that includes critical thinking and reasoning skills – the primary skills needed to do well on the SAT.  While we are proud of the upward progress our students are making, we must continue to work toward improving SAT scores.” 

The SAT results are based on the scores of test-takers who graduated in the class of 2011 and the last time they took the test.  The SAT measures aptitudes in verbal, math and writing skills on a scale that ranges from 200 to 800 on each section of the test.  The highest possible score on the SAT is 2400.

SAT prep courses designed to prepare students in test-taking skills are available in our high schools.  Gaston students also have an opportunity to take the Preliminary Scholastic

Assessment Test (PSAT) at the tenth or eleventh grade.  The PSAT is a practice test that helps students gain skills later tested on the SAT.

The College Board cautioned school officials about using SAT scores as a “single measure to rank or rate educational institutions, districts or states because it does not include all students.”  The SAT is not intended as a measure of the quality of high school education.

Noteworthy highlights of the 2011 SAT results:

■ SAT scores reflect the students in the class of 2011 and the “last” time they took the SAT (not the highest score) through June 2011.  If a student took the SAT more than once, only the most recent score is used.  (In the past, the SAT results reflected scores through the March test date.) 

■ Highland posted the highest score with 1546, which is above the state and national averages.   

■ The greatest gains were made by South Point (+39), Hunter Huss (+27), and North Gaston (+27). 

■ North Gaston’s score on the math section (518) exceeds the state and national averages.  The school’s average SAT score increased 62 points over the past two years.

■ Since 2008-2009, Gaston County has increased eight points.

■ Our growth over last year is greater than the state and nation.

Gaston:  + 4 points
State:  - 5 points
Nation:  - 6 points

*See chart with two-year comparison of scores.