Fleetwood Falls Behind in SAT Scores

The SAT produced by the College Board is a test designed to assess a student’s academic levels for college. The test, most often taken by high school juniors and seniors, evaluates verbal skills such as reading and writing as well as math skills. The SAT is just one of the many factors most colleges will take into consideration during the admissions process. Knowing the importance of the exam, it is vital to be prepared and score well, but a recent edition of The Reading Eagle revealed that in the 2009-2010 school year, Fleetwood Area High School was labeled as one of the public school districts that scored the lowest on the SAT.

Ranked 14 out of 18, Fleetwood produced an average score of 1464, a total of 158 points behind number one ranked Wyomissing. Although many individuals were surprised by this, Principal Michael DeAntonio was not.

“Test scores fluctuate from year to year because different students are being tested. I would be surprised if our county ranking would continue to fall over the next several years,” DeAntonio commented.

Dr. Martin Handler, superintendent of the Brandywine Heights School District, shared a similar view after his school’s scores increased by 81 points, moving them from number eleven all the way to number two. Handler stated that some groups of students just naturally perform better than others on the exam.

“We can always do better. We can encourage students to take SAT prep in order to become more familiar with the kind of test the SAT is,” suggests DeAntonio.

Although Fleetwood did not score superbly, this does not necessarily mean the school is lacking academically.

“Whether it is the SAT or the ACT, one test does not tell the whole story about any student,” says DeAntonio.

In fact, many colleges are no longer requiring an SAT score for admissions because one test cannot define the type of student an individual is. “I don’t think they should be eliminated,” DeAntonio continues, “but they should be used in balance with grades, volunteerism, attendance, and other factors that can predict college success.”

Overall, it is important to note that a better score for Fleetwood on the SAT is certainly achievable, but this test is not the only noteworthy component of college admissions. The score is most often analyzed in conjunction with high school academics, extracurricular activities, teacher recommendations, and a personal essay. Taking advantage of courses such as SAT Prep and keeping solid grades in math and English will help not only on the SAT but also later in college and in post-college years.