Area SAT scores beat state, national averages

Charlottesville and Albemarle County high-schoolers surpassed state and national averages for SAT scores last year.

Charlottesville’s division-wide verbal, math and writing averages were 536, 516 and 531, respectively. Albemarle fared slightly better, averaging 553 in verbal, 544 in math and 540 in writing. Each section of the SAT is scored on a scale of 200 to 800.

Virginia numbers were nearly stagnant from last year, increasing only one point in math, from 511 to 512, and in writing, from 498 to 499. Verbal scores remained the same at 511.
National averages remained the same for 2007-08 at 515 for math, 502 for verbal and 494 for writing.

Scores and participation rates varied between Albemarle’s three high schools.
Albemarle High School students scored averages of 547 in the verbal category, 543 in math and 534 in writing, with 82 percent of graduating seniors taking the college entrance exam, the highest percentage in the county.
Monticello High School students scored 523 in verbal, 521 in math and 518 in writing. Sixty-three percent of Monticello High seniors took the SAT.

At Western Albemarle High School, where 79 percent of seniors took the test, results showed an average verbal score of 586, 563 in math and a writing score of 565.
The county also noted that achievement gaps between white and minority students are decreasing. Hispanic students posted a 29-point gain in verbal scores from a division-average of 450 to 479, and a 21-point gain in writing scores from 488 to 509.

Black students increased their performance on the verbal section from 448 to 454, but math and writing scores were down slightly over last year.
Information on student participation and scores for specific groups in the city will not be released until the Charlottesville School Board examines the data.