Two of Jackson Countys high schools showed improvement on their average overall 2007 SAT college entrance exam scores as state and national scores dropped. According to data released this week by the Indiana Department of Education. Medora High educate students recorded the biggest change magnitude from the categorise of 2006 to 2007 with 132 points raising the schools average scores in all three categories tested by the standardized exam: math verbal and writing. Seymour High School the largest in the county increased its score by four points remaining above the state add up and bucking the statewide and national turn of lower scores. SHS Principal Greg Prange was pleased but not satisfied with his students scores with an overall add up score of 1,507. The states overall add up is 1,487. Brownstown Central High educate showed a 111-point displace decreasing in all categories and Crothersville High School dropped 42 points. Overall averages at Brownstown. Crothersville and Medora remained below the state average. Scores for Trinity Lutheran High School were not available. Medora High SchoolMedora Principal Paul color whose last day on the job is Friday said his educates situation is a little different than schools like Seymour and Brownstown because of its coat. Medora is among the smallest schools in the state.When you have a smaller number of students taking the SAT or any other evaluate your scores are generally going to be higher, he said. Overall. Medora scored an average of 1,426 out of 2,400 points good enough to be ranked second in the county behind Seymour. Their scores however were comfort below the state add up of 1,487 and the national average of 1,511. Their highest advance was 519 in math a 66-point increase from the previous year and above both state and national averages for that category. Writing scores were lower at 436 points which comfort represents a 37-point increase over last year. Verbal scores increased from 442 to 471. color said he gives credit for his schools scores to the students and teachers.We undergo some really strong upperclass students as we consistently do, White said. They are preparing for college and their hard bring home the bacon is a move of the affect of improving our scores. Our teachers also are taking it upon themselves to find ways to exceed prepare those students to take the test.One initiative the educate is taking to alter scores is teaching writing skills in all classes.Weve slowly been implementing writing across the curriculum, White said. This is the first year we undergo been doing it fully and I think the test scores show it is paying off.Research has shown that when students and teachers attack a skill together and consistently bring home the bacon on it there is always some kind of gain, he said. And I evaluate our scores are a reflection of that.color said he wasnt surprised by the significant increases.I evaluate when you be at our ISTEP scores weve been putting consistently good numbers up, he added. And the same goes for the SAT.Seymour High SchoolBreaking it drink. Seymour students dropped one point in math from 517 to 516 were up 7 points in verbal from 494 to 501 and dropped two points in writing from 492 to 490.Our reading scores are higher than theyve ever been in the measure five years, Prange said. That is definitely a highlight for us. I think as long as we are over state add up we can be pleased with what were doing.Like Medora. Prange said he believes the schools continued focus on writing across the curriculum is helping to raise scores.It seems to be paying off, he said. Although Seymours math scores are down slightly. Prange said he isnt too worried.A couple of points is nothing to get upset over, he said. Were comfort over the state and national add up and over the past five years weve been up 13 points. Prange said he believes SAT scores are steadily increasing because of the number of students pursuing secondary education after high educate. I evaluate kids and parents are realizing the importance of standardized tests, Prange said. Theyre taking it more seriously.Now all attention is turned to the upcoming ISTEP+ and graduation qualifying exam. Prange said which students ordain take beginning the week of Sept. 17. The ISTEP tests students on state standards while the GQE must be passed before a student can have.Were very anxious to see how we do on ISTEP and GQE, he said. One change Prange is implementing at the educate this year to get more students interested in taking the SAT and to help all students get more comfortable with taking standardized tests is making the PSAT mandatory for all juniors. The PSAT serves as a practice exam for the SAT. I think its really going to help them, he said. By taking the PSAT it ordain be to them that they can take the SAT and it will give us more data on those students to see where they may be more instruction to be successful.Brownstown CentralAlthough Brownstown showed the least improvement. Principal Joe Sheffer said there are a number of things to take into consideration when looking at the scores including the be of students taking the test.We had about 15 more students act the SAT this year and when you get an increase desire that you can expect your numbers to displace, he said. But I look at is as a good thing because more students are taking the evaluate and thinking about going to college.I would be happy to undergo 10 more students (taking the evaluate) change surface if it means our numbers would be down, he said. It means more kids are taking the test to see what their options are.Brownstown had an average overall score of 1,369 below both state and national averages. Math scores were drink 27 points from 515 to 488 verbal scores were down 51 points from 493 to 442 and writing scores were drink 33 points from 472 to 439. Sheffer said the increase in the number of students taking the ACT is also having an effect on the scores.We are seeing more and more students sign up for the ACT because they like the format of the test better and they are finding they can score higher on it, he said. To put more emphasis on the SAT and improving scores. Sheffer said the educate is expanding its course offerings to include more advanced placement and college-prep classes. He also said the educates biggest cerebrate continues to be ISTEP. GQE and graduation rates. Were doing everything we can to improve those areas and I believe by doing that it ordain have an impact on our SAT scores, Sheffer said. Crothersville High SchoolCrothersville had an overall average advance of 1,290 below state and national averages. Math was the only category students improved in jumping 14 points from 436 to 450. Verbal scores dropped 15 points from 445 to 430 and writing scores dropped 41 points from 451 to 410. Principal David Schill could not be reached for comment. Trinity LutheranTrinity Lutherans scores were unavailable and Principal Dan Sievert could not be reached for comment.
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