Cherokee Earns Highest SAT Average in Metro Atlanta

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The Cherokee County School District continues to rank in the top 5 school districts in Georgia for average SAT scores and earned the highest county average in metro Atlanta, the school district said on Thursday.

The school district’s class of 2015 earned an average total score of 1560, which is the fifth-highest score out of 180 school systems in the state of Georgia, according to data released on Thursday by the College Board.

“The class of 2015’s success is commendable, especially as its students suffered through the fiscal challenges faced by CCSD and the community as a whole in recent years,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo said. “Such accomplishments only can be achieved with the strong support of the entire community – students, families, teachers, administrators, business partners, volunteers – and a school board that makes providing each child a high-quality public education every day its top priority.”

The 2015 graduates topped the national average by 70 points and the state average by 110 points on the curriculum-based, college entrance and placement exam, which is the most commonly recognized measure of achievement for high school students.

• RELATED: Cherokee ACT Scores Surpass State, National Averages

All district high schools, with 59 percent of the class of 2015 participating, scored above the national average and ranked in the top 15 in Georgia on the test, which measures critical reading, mathematics and writing abilities that are related to successful performance in college.

While the district’s average total score decreased slightly – by less than a quarter of 1 percent (the national average saw a larger decline), Cherokee County earned the fourth-highest average mathematics score and fifth-highest average critical reading score in Georgia.

As different groups of students are being tested, annual fluctuation in scores is anticipated; but the school district continues to show consistent, extraordinary performance when compared at the National and State levels.

Principals with their Leadership and Data Management teams will review individual scores to evaluate instruction and curriculum, analyze intervention strategies and determine new SAT goals.

Counselors also will review these scores to ensure that every student is prepared to achieve the greatest successes on entrance examinations and in higher education.

See the attached chart to show the breakdown of SAT scores for each of the county’s high schools.

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Image via Shutterstock