Sarasota SAT Scores Better Than Nation, State

Students in Sarasota County’s public high schools outperformed their peers in the U.S. and in other Florida districts, on average, on the 2011 SAT. According to a school district press release, while average SAT scores declined compared with 2010 scores at the national, state and local levels, local averages are higher than national and state averages in all three sections of the SAT: mathematics, critical reading and writing skills.

Nationwide results for the class of 2011 were announced Wednesday (Sept. 14) by the College Board, the not-for-profit organization that administers the voluntary tests, which are the most widely taken standardized college admissions test in the U.S, the release said.

According to the College Board, the number of SAT takers nationwide was more than 1.6 million in 2011. The Florida Department of Education reports that 114,769 students across the state took the SAT this year. In Sarasota County public high schools, 1,651 seniors took the SATs, an increase of 203 students from last year’s total of 1,448.

• District-to-state comparison: Sarasota County average scores are 32 points higher than state averages in critical reading, 30 points higher in mathematics and 29 points higher in writing.

• District-to-national comparison: Average scores for the district are 22 points higher than the national average in reading, five points higher in math and 11 points higher in writing.

 Critical Reading

 Mathematics

 Writing

 2010

2011

 2010

2011

 2010

2011

Sarasota

 523

519

 525

519

 502

500

State

 495

487

 496

489

 478

471

Nation

 500

497

 515

514

 491

489