ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Education (DOE) reported Thursday that Georgia students’ SAT scores for 2015 increased five points, even as the national average dropped seven points.
DOE officials said 76.9 percent of students from the class of 2015 took the SAT – a total of 72,898 students. Of that group, 39.8 percent were underrepresented minority students, up from 38.8 percent in 2014 and 38.1 percent in 2011.
Georgia students’ mean score for critical reading increased by two points, from 488 to 490, and the mean score for writing increased by three points, from 472 to 475. The mean score for math remained at 485. Nationally, the mean scores for critical reading and math each dropped two points, and the mean score for writing dropped three points.
“I’m encouraged by these score increases because they signal that more students may be prepared for college-level work,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “As we continue to realign the focus of the Georgia Department of Education and pursue child-focused, classroom-centered policies, I believe we will see continued increases in SAT scores and other key indicators.”
According to district level results, Hall County and Gainesville City students scored below the state composite score of 1450.
A total of 1,017 Hall County School District test-takers scored an average of 1404 on the 2015 SAT (critical reading mean score 476, math mean score 473 and writing mean score 455). Gainesville City Schools had 224 test-takers who had a composite score of 1353 (critical reading mean score 457, math mean score 450 and writing mean score 446).
Among other scores in the north Georgia region - Forsyth County students scored an average of 1577, Gwinnett students scored 1497 on average and Habersham County students recorded a composite score of 1394.
