Coweta's test scores

are on the rise.

In results released Tuesday, Coweta's total SAT score rose to 974,

gaining 12 points on last year's total of 962. This score is a 31-point

gain over the score from four years ago (1996).

School officials said SAT scores are typically studied in five-year

segments in order to look for trends and drastic changes.

East Coweta High School administered the test to 193 students, Newnan

High gave the test to 177 students, and Northgate High School had

its first graduating class, administering the test to 97 students.

East Coweta's average score was 931, which was 22 points lower than

last year.

At Newnan, students scored 1,016, for a 42-point increase over 1999's

974.

Northgate students took the test for the first time last year and

scored an average 983.

While happy with the rise in scores, Superintendent of Education

Richard Brooks said the system still has a way to go.

"We feel like we're headed in the right direction with aligning

our curriculum," he said.

Brooks said a special effort is being made at East Coweta High School,

where scores dropped for the last three years.

The SAT is specifically for students who have been enrolled in traditional

college preparatory classes and plan to attend four-year colleges

or universities.