August 31, 2001

 Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Daniel A. Domenech has released the average SAT scores for FCPS seniors in the class of 2001 who took the tests. This is the first year that FCPS has released SAT data compiled to more accurately analyze FCPS results. The new method of compiling the data uses the test scores of students in the senior class in June based on the FCPS student information system and ethnic designations taken from school registration records. This is more accurate than the data provided by the College Board. In computing averages, FCPS uses the best score of each student, which is the score routinely considered by colleges in the acceptance process, rather than the most recent score as reported by the College Board.

On the mathematics section of the SAT, FCPS students scored much higher than students in the nation and in Virginia, with an average score of 564, compared to 514 nationwide and 501 statewide. On the verbal section of the SAT, FCPS students also scored significantly higher than students in the nation and in Virginia with an average score of 552, compared to 506 nationwide and 510 statewide.

Commenting on the scores, Domenech said, "Fairfax County students overall continue to do very well on the SATs, and our new reporting methodology will help us better track the scores of all our students. The method will especially help us to track differences between achievement rates of White and minority students."

Following are highlights of the SAT results for FCPS:

• When compared with 2000 scores, the FCPS average verbal score decreased two points, and the math score decreased three points. Nationally, the average verbal score increased one point, and the math score remained unchanged. In Virginia, both the verbal and the mathematics scores increased one point. (See table 1.)
  
  
• Verbal and math scores for all FCPS ethnic groups exceeded all national and state averages for ethnic groups.
  (See table 2.)
  
  
• FCPS Asian students' scores exceeded national Asian students' scores by 22 points on the verbal section and 16 points on the math section. (See table 2.)
  
  
• FCPS Black students' scores exceeded national Black students' scores by 40 points on the verbal section and 42 points on the math section. (See table 2.)
  
  
• FCPS Hispanic students' scores exceeded national Hispanic students' scores by 36 points on the verbal section and
  37 points on the math section. (See table 2.)
  
  
• FCPS White students' scores exceeded national White students' scores by 45 points on the verbal section and
  45 points on the math section. (See table 2.)

The FCPS information in tables 1 and 2 differs from the reports from the College Board in a number of ways. The ethnic categories of the students are determined by their designations in the FCPS student information system rather than the self-reported designations from the College Board, which tends to under- estimate the true minority count. If a student tested more than once, FCPS reports the highest score rather than the most recent score as reported by the College Board. This report also excludes students who were tested while in FCPS but may have moved or been retained and thus were not part of the senior class. This change in change in reporting practices will provide a more accurate analysis of how FCPS students are performing, as well as the effectiveness of systemwide SAT initiatives. These data are reported in tables 1 and 2.

(Table 3 contains the SAT scores, as reported by the College Board, which uses the scores of every student who took the SATs and who identified him- or herself as a member of the graduating class of 2001 at the time of testing. Table 3 is provided for the sake of completeness; however, all comparisons highlighted above are based on tables 1 and 2, which reflect the more accurate computations described above.)

Attachments:

Description of the SAT and Cautions in Interpreting School Results

Table 1: SAT Average Scores for Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia, and the Nation, 2000 Through 2001, as Reported by Fairfax County Public Schools

Table 2: SAT Average Scores for Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia, and the Nation by Ethnicity, 2000 Through 2001, as Reported by Fairfax County Public Schools

Table 3: SAT Average Scores for Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia, and the Nation, 2000 Through 2001, as Reported by the College Board

Description of the SAT

The SAT measures the basic verbal and mathematical abilities that a student has acquired over many years, both in and out of school. It tests ability to reason rather than to remember facts, and it does not require special preparation. Results are reported in three-digit scaled scores on a 200- to 800-point scale.

This report summarizes information for 2001 seniors who took the SAT test any time during their high school years through June 2001.

Cautions in Interpreting School Test Results

Readers are cautioned not to rely too heavily upon test scores as measures of instructional quality and not to use test scores exclusively to compare schools, areas, or school systems. Any interpretation of SAT results should take into account the following:

1. The SAT does not attempt to assess any specific local high school curriculum or a more general "national curriculum."

2. The multiple-choice format limits the type of questions that can be asked and the skills that can be covered. For instance, students are not asked to write a sentence or a paragraph. This test does not assess listening or oral communication skills nor does it attempt to measure such work-related attributes as responsibility, initiative, and creativity.

3. Each year's average score for a school represents the results for a completely different group of students.

4. The average scores of students in smaller high schools will tend to vary more from year to year than the average scores of students from larger schools.

5. Average scores for schools do not give information about how many students scored at a high level or a low level. In each school, many students may score at a high level and many others may score at a low level.

6. Since all students in a school, school system, or state do not take the SAT, and since the population of test takers is self-selected, using aggregate SAT scores to compare or evaluate teachers, schools, systems, states, or other educational units is not valid, and the College Board strongly discourages such use.

Adapted from A Profile of SAT Program Test Takers by the College Board

School	Verbal Average		Math Average
	2000	2001	2000	2001
ANNANDALE HIGH	490	505	506	520
CENTREVILLE HIGH	538	542	554	548
CHANTILLY HIGH	546	540	554	552
EDISON HIGH	484	492	502	507
FAIRFAX HIGH	529	539	553	547
FALLS CHURCH HIGH	502	509	527	514
HAYFIELD SEC.	522	517	528	522
HERNDON HIGH	533	535	546	548
TJHSST	720	725	747	745
LAKE BRADDOCK SEC.	561	560	581	577
LANGLEY HIGH	592	595	607	616
LEE HIGH	528	502	531	505
MADISON HIGH	581	573	585	585
MARSHALL HIGH	526	537	544	560
MCLEAN HIGH	575	572	598	590
MOUNT VERNON HIGH	495	492	506	504
OAKTON HIGH	561	556	571	569
ROBINSON SEC.	559	554	576	566
SOUTH LAKES HIGH	566	559	563	555
STUART HIGH	516	516	525	530
WEST POTOMAC HIGH	536	533	534	526
WEST SPRINGFIELD HIGH	562	562	574	579
WOODSON HIGH	564	579	583	589
FCPS	554	552	567	564
VIRGINIA	509	510	500	501
NATION	505	506	514	514

* Averages for Virginia and the nation are as reported by the College Board. 

		VERBAL			MATH
		FCPS	VIRGINIA	NATION	FCPS	VIRGINIA	NATION
ASIAN	2000	530	506	499	593	553	565
	2001	523	503	501	582	549	566
BLACK	2000	470	433	434	470	413	426
	2001	473	434	433	468	414	426
HISPANIC	2000	495	492	457	510	489	461
	2001	492	491	456	497	483	460
WHITE	2000	573	531	528	578	520	530
	2001	574	533	529	576	521	531

*Averages for Virginia and the nation are as reported by the College Board.