MCPS Students Shine in SAT

Good news from the schools: Montgomery County public school students in the class of 2012 "set an all-time record on the SAT and significantly outperformed their peers across the state and the nation on the college entrance exam," according to a Montgomery County Public Schools press release. 

"MCPS graduates scored an average combined score of 1,651 on the SAT, which is 184 points higher than state of Maryland public school graduates and 153 points higher than the nation’s graduates, according to data released [on Monday, Sept. 24] ... by the College Board," the statement continued.

Einstein High School's class of 2012 students came in a little lower than the countywide mean, with an average score of 1,591, according to MCPS records. This is a slight drop from the  class of 2011 and 2010 scores. At Kennedy High School, class of 2012 students' average combined score was 1,407, which also reflected a drop in the last two years.

Northwood High School was at 1,511--an increase of more than 60 points from the class of 2011.

But Wheaton High School ranked last in MCPS with an average combined score of 1346, barely higher than the class of 2011 score

"The average score for MCPS went up 14 points, while the scores for the state and the nation dropped slightly. Seventy-one percent of the MCPS [class] of 2012 took the SAT, which is unchanged from the previous year. In Maryland, 70 percent of public school students took the SAT and across the nation, 52 percent of students took the exam," the statement added.

Shirley Brandman, president of the Montgomery County Board of Education, added that "this year’s SAT results make it clear that more of our graduates are ready for college-level work and are on a trajectory for success in the future."

"We should celebrate these results while, at the same time, intensifying our commitment to prepare all students for success in the 21st century," Brandman added.

The SAT, administered by the College Board, has three sections: critical reading, mathematics and writing. Each section is worth 800 points, for a total of 2,400. 

MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr added that "we continue to see steady growth in SAT performance from all students and I am very pleased that more of our students are showing they are ready for [post-secondary] opportunities."

"While the scores are moving in the right direction, we must recognize that there are persistent gaps that must be addressed if we are going to fulfill our promise of equity and excellence," he added.

Montgomery County's public schools with the highest combined average score were Poolesville High School (1,869), Walt Whitman High School (1,863), Thomas S. Wootton High School (1,837), Winston Churchill High School (1,836) and Richard Montgomery High School (1,775), according to the MCPS statement.