Georgia SAT Scores Decline, Yet Remain Above National Average
Georgia’s class of 2024 experienced a decrease in average SAT scores, dropping from 1045 to 1030, marking a 15-point decline. Despite this setback, Georgia remains ahead of the national average, with its scores 35 points higher than the national average of 995. This year marks the seventh consecutive year that Georgia public school students outperformed their national peers on the SAT.
Phoebe Chung, project leader, shared optimism about the state’s continued success, indicating potential reasons for the higher performance might include improved math and reading skills or changes in student demographics. The national average also saw a decrease from 1003 to 995, prompting concern among educators. Midtown college advisor Rohini Bose noted that fluctuating yearly scores and the impact of the pandemic’s test-optional policies may have contributed to these declines.
Midtown High School’s average SAT score for the class of 2024 stood at 1166, significantly higher than both the Georgia and national averages. Teachers and counselors at Midtown emphasize self-motivation and provide resources like Khan Academy for SAT preparation. College Advisor Adam Jolliff remarked on the increasing trend of colleges moving to test-optional admissions, which may further affect the dynamics of test preparation and scores.
In a notable change, the SAT will transition to a digital format in March 2024, reducing the test length from three hours to two and introducing different types of questions. Students like senior Ava Johnson express mixed feelings about the upcoming changes, sharing experiences of the differing difficulty between the paper and anticipated digital SAT formats.
As Georgia looks ahead, the impact of the digital SAT on future scores remains uncertain, with both potential challenges and benefits poised to influence performance outcomes for upcoming classes.
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