Albemarle and Western Albemarle High School students demonstrated their ability to conquer analogies, word problems and geometry this past year.
Albemarle County's SAT scores showed an increase above the national average for the graduating class of 2003.
The average national SAT score for the class of 2003 was a combined total of 1026. Albemarle and Western Albemarle High School students' average combined score was 1096 -- 70 points higher than the national average, according to Kristin Carnahan, assistant director of public affairs at the College Board.
Additionally, 81 percent of the senior class of about 340 students took the SAT as compared to 72 percent of last year's senior class of a similar size, Albemarle High School Principal Larry Lawwill said.
"The scores are above the state average, and 17 percent more students took the SAT," Lawwill said.
The rise in SAT scores is significant because more students are taking the test, which usually would cause a decrease in scores, Carnahan said.
"As a general rule, the more students taking the test, the lower the scores because of a more diverse set of abilities taking a test," Carnahan said. "It is significant that a greater number of students took the SAT and the scores increased."
Lawwill attributes the students' success to Albemarle County's educational system.
"Albemarle offers a really great education," he said.
SAT prep classes are offered through Albemarle High School as well as other locations, Lawwill said.
The College Board, however, did not observe that such classes equated with higher scores, noting that a student's course work usually determines the student's score, Carnahan said.
"Our recommendation to students is that they take the most rigorous courses they can handle to prepare for the SAT," Carnahan said. "Our research has shown much more modest score gain attributed" to SAT prep courses.
Western Albemarle High School Principal Anne Coughlin also said the school system's curriculum results in higher scores.
"There is a great deal of effort to ensure elementary, middle school and high school curriculums build from one another," she said.
Lawwill also said scores will continue to increase as more students take the test multiple times.
"Part of it is encouraging kids to take the test and to take it more than once," Lawwill said.
According to Coughlin, the increase in the number of students taking the SAT indicates that more students seek to attend institutions of higher education.
"More students plan to go to college, so they take the test seriously," Coughlin said.
Specifically, Carnahan said there has been a noticeable increase in math scores nationwide.
"What we saw with the 2003 data is a steady trend of increased math scores," Carnahan said. "There has been a steady increase [in math scores] over the past 10 years. The math scores rose three points last year. These math scores were the highest in 35 years."
However, Carnahan said the verbal scores have not shown similarly large increases at the national level.
"The verbal scores are also up three points this year," Carnahan said. "The verbal scores have been flat over the past 10 years."
Carnahan said the difference in verbal and math scores could be related to the type of classes students selected.
"More students report taking advanced math courses and advanced science courses," she said. "We are seeing a decrease in the number of students taking grammar and English composition classes. These two cases can be related."
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