The Coweta County School System’s average SAT score increased by 28 points in 2021, to 1110, placing the school system well above state and national averages on the college entrance exam.
It was the fourth year in a row that Georgia students outscored the nation on the SAT, and the seventh year that Coweta students outscored both state and national averages. Coweta Schools’ average SAT performance placed Coweta 72 points above the national average and 39 points above the state average, even as state and national averages rose in 2021.
“In a difficult year by any measure, to see our students continue to perform so well is a testament to their dedication as well as their teachers,” said Superintendent Evan Horton. “These scores reflect well not just on these students’ high schools, but on their total school experience and the quality of work that is being done from Pre-K through 12th grade. I congratulate our school staff as well as these students.”
Reporting released by the College Board and the Georgia Department of Education this week shows test results for 2021 graduates on the SAT’s Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math sections of the test. The test is scaled between 400 and 1600 points. The mean scores above represent data for students in the graduating class of 2020 who took the SAT during high school. Test-takers are counted only once and only their latest scores are included in the annual average.
2021 county, state and national SAT averages were:
2021 SAT Reading/Writing Math Total Score
Coweta County School System 563 547 1110
Georgia 546 531 1077
Nation 524 514 1038
2021 SAT averages for Coweta’s three high schools were:
2021 SAT Reading/Writing Math Total Score
East Coweta High 553 542 1095
Newnan High 561 551 1112
Northgate High 578 552 1129
All three Coweta high schools’ average scores in 2021 were also above state and national averages.
All three Coweta County high schools improved overall performance during the 2021 administration of the exam. East Coweta High School and Newnan High School each saw a 36 point increase in SAT average scores, and Northgate High School’s average rose by 11 points, to 1129.
National average SAT scores rose to 1038 this year, and Georgia’s average SAT widened over the national average with a 34-point rise, to 1077. Coweta SAT scores rose 28 points on average over 2020. Coweta placed 19th out of Georgia’s 181 school districts in 2021 SAT performance.
The Georgia Department of Education noted that 38 percent of Georgia’s class of 2021 took the SAT at some point during high school. This percentage is lower than normal, given the impacts of the pandemic – including the cancellation of some test registrations and closure of some test centers in 2020 – and the temporary waiver of SAT/ACT score requirements for University System of Georgia Admissions.
While the College Board does not release participation percentages at the national level, the raw numbers show a decline in participation at the national level as well: 1.5 million students in the high school class of 2021 took the SAT at least once, down from 2.2 million in the class of 2020, the DoE noted.
“That our students maintained and exceeded high performance on this exam, even during the difficulties of a pandemic year, is a great credit to them and to their teachers,” said Northgate Principal Ashley Wilkes.
“Our teachers and students have done an incredible job working and learning in a very different environment,” said East Coweta High School principal Steve Allen. “Coweta County School has a solid commitment to Reach, Teach and Motivate our students no matter what is in front of them.”
“The steady improvements in the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section of the SAT are the result of teachers at all levels and in all content areas providing more high quality instruction and practice for all students,” said Newnan High School Principal Chase Puckett. “The performance in ELA and Math is significant in light of the challenges students and staff members have faced in the past two years. This strategic focus coupled with increasingly challenging math learning opportunities continues to provide advanced learning opportunities for all students in the Coweta County School System.”
For more information about 2021 Georgia SAT performance, go here.
