Gainesville High class of 2021 seniors who took the SAT had an overall higher combined score than last year.
That was the word from Principal Jamie Green, who shared some of the SAT results with the school board at their meeting Monday night.
"We did see an increase, a pretty significant increase, in the mean combined score," said Green. "We went from 990 combined score last year with the class of 2020, to a combined mean of 1055 this year. Actually, it was higher with the essay, it was 1110, we're pretty proud of that statistic."
Gainesville High students also surpassed all of the national benchmarks when it came to demographics, another thing Green said the school was proud to see.
"Black students scored an average of 963 versus the national average of 934," said Green. "Hispanic students scored 1017 versus 967 [nationally,] and white students score an average of 1125 versus 1112 [nationally.]"
Green said participation at Gainesville High more closely represents their demographics as well. For example, test takers that are Black make up 10% on average, but at Gainesville High made up 20%, which Green said closely resembled the makeup of the school.
Green said he felt that the curriculum, including Advanced Placement courses, overall educational push from teachers as early as kindergarten age, and starting the option of taking the SAT during school hours made a difference in their scores.
"The SAT school day allows you to deliver the SAT during the regular day, typically it's held on a weekend, but for students who have jobs or family commitments and responsibilities, that means maybe they don't have the same opportunity to access," he said. "So we want to make sure all of our students were afforded that opportunity."
Green said the school applied for and was accepted to give the SAT during the day and will do it again this October. He said they also offered tutoring for the SAT through The Hub.
Green said with the pandemic and universities waiving SAT scores for entrance, there was a 33% reduction in students taking the SAT in Gainesville, which Green said was in line with national trends.
