Hall, 29 other school systems hope to raise SAT scores

ATLANTA - The Hall, Forsyth and Gwinnett County school systems are among thirty in the state teaming up to boost the statewide SAT average.

School officials have determined that if these 30 systems raise their average SAT scores by 1.5 percent, the state average could increase ten points. Seventy-two percent of Georgia students taking the SAT are in one of these systems.

State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox has challenged the top 30 school systems (as ranked by SAT participation) to rise to the occasion by 2005. However, she is not expecting them to go it alone.

The state Department of Education, in partnership with the Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement (GLISI), the College Board, and IBM, is bringing the systems
together every 6 weeks to take part in training sessions. They will learn important strategies for raising student achievement and test scores that can be easily implemented in each district. They will also have the opportunity to share best practices with one another in an effort to create sustained progress