Schools  |  Jobs  |  Parents  |  FAQs  |  Forms  |  Newcomers  |  Lunch Menus

WCPSS Home >> News

WCPSS High Schools See Higher Scores on SAT

September 1, 2009 - Students’ results on the SAT from the WCPSS graduating Class of 2009 pushed eight high schools above the 1600 point average score on the three part college entrance exam.

8 WCPSS Schools Have Scores Above 1600
School	2009 SAT score
Enloe High	1766
Green Hope High	1680
Leesville Road High	1662
Panther Creek High	1646
Apex High	1633
Cary High	1622
Broughton High	1607
Sanderson High	1604

In the writing section, Enloe had the highest average score of WCPSS high schools at 575. Green Hope had 544, Panther Creek had 534 and Leesville Road had 529. In the critical reading section, Enloe had the high average score of 592. Leesville Road had 551; Green had 548; and Cary had 542. In the math section, Enloe had the high average score of 599. Green Hope averaged 588, Leesville Road, 582 and Apex, 576.

Three schools had average test results that increased significantly. The school average score increased by 65 points at Leesville Road, 60 points at Sanderson and 40 points at Garner.

Student participation rates dropped, however. For 2009, Green Hope was the only high school to have a participation rate above 80 percent. Its rate was 83.5 percent. In 2008, five schools had participation rates higher than 80 percent. For 2009, WCPSS had another seven high schools that had participation rates higher than 70 percent.

8 WCPSS Schools Have Participation Rates Above 70%
School	2009 SAT Participation Rate
Green Hope High	83.5%
Apex High	77.5%
Broughton High	74.0%
Athens Drive High	72.7%
Wakefield High	72.4%
Panther Creek High	71.9%
Leesville Road High	71.6%
Enloe High	71.4%

Student participation rates in the SAT are down for the nation, North Carolina and Wake County. Locally, school administrators note that while nearly two-thirds of WCPSS seniors took the SAT, an increasing number of graduates in 2008-09 reported that they intended to pursue community college and careers.

Principals discuss SAT preparations
Several schools saw significant increases in average scores this year. Leesville Road High saw a 65 point gain with an average score of 1662 for 2009, compared with 1597 in 2008.

Principal Scott Lyons says last year the school implemented Pride Period, a 20 minute daily activity after first period. Lyons says for one day of the week students silently read a book of their choice and for three days they took part in tutoring sessions.

“Teachers assign students who need to strengthen their skills to Pride Period for peer tutoring,” said Lyons. “We believe this strengthens the skills for both students, the one offering help and the one seeking assistance.”

Lyons says with teachers directing students to assistance for specific learning objectives, students receive the individualized instruction they need and can get help over the course of the school year in different classes during Pride Period.

Sanderson High had a 60 point gain, with a 2009 average of 1604, compared with a 1544 average in 2008. While proud of his students’ success, Sanderson principal Greg Decker is more interested in seeing continued long term improvement, rather than a one time jump in scores.

“I do believe that the Sanderson professionals are following all the best practices and we are better aligning our actions towards a common vision and focus,” said Decker. “I truly believe that this will benefit our students.”

Decker said the current Sanderson behaviors that may have contributed to the growth in scores are:

• Teachers participating in high functioning professional learning teams focused on improving student learning
• Professional learning teams using common assessments to measure student success in learning
• Professional learning teams using achievement data from these common assessments to provide additional instruction or enrichment activities to meet the needs of individual students

Decker says Sanderson teachers have shown a willingness to stay after school to help students, to build positive professional relationships with students; assist students to provide them structure and consistency; and to reflect on current teaching practices in responding to student issues of academic failure as well as absence and tardiness.

Garner High saw a 40 point gain with an average score of 1412 for 2009, compared with 1372 in 2008. Principal Drew Cook says the school has encouraged students to take more rigorous courses and there has been a steady increase in the number of students taking Honors level, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses. Cook says the school has implemented some specific strategies to improve the performance of students on the SAT.

“Through the Magnet Schools Assistance Program Grant, we have been able to offer SAT Prep sessions after school and on Saturdays for interested students,” said Cook. “Our Guidance Department has focused on collaborating with parents, students, and teachers in an effort to provide more information about the SAT, application deadlines, and access to both in-school and online SAT preparation programs.   Events such as College Application Week and College Night have helped to increase awareness on the importance of the SAT to the futures of our students.”

For the last two years, the school has offered an SAT Prep course to provide students access to SAT review materials, individual consultation, and skill-building exercises in all three components of the SAT.

SAT
The SAT is a national exam offered through the College Board. The exam is designed to measure a student's chance of success at the college level.

-wcpss-

Wake County Public School System, 5625 Dillard Drive, Cary, NC 27518 | 919-431-7400