Arlington Students Kick Butt on the SATs

by ARLnow.com — September 14, 2010 at 7:34 pm 1,545 9 Comments

The SAT scores of Arlington Public School students rose significantly this year, with the biggest gains experienced among minority students. While Arlington students gained, the average SAT scores on a state and national level remained flat.

On a scale from 200 to 800 points, Arlington seniors scored an average of 555 points on the reading portion of the exam, up 14 points from a year prior and 54 points above the national average. Scores on the writing exam were up 17 points to 538, 46 points above the national average. The average of 564 points scored on the math exam was up 16 points from last year and was 48 points above the national average.

Every ethnic group performed better in every category this year. Asian students posted double digit gains in all three categories. Hispanic and Black students posted double digit gains in two categories. White students posted single digit gains in all three categories. There was no significant difference in gains by gender.

“While we monitor many other performance measures, I am pleased to see that our students increasingly outpace their peers across the state and the nation on the SATs,” said Arlington Public Schools superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy. “While state and national averages remain relatively flat, our 2010 seniors experienced double-digit increases in reading, writing and mathematics. I congratulate our students for these impressive results.”

“I am also pleased to see these increases in performance among students of all ethnic and racial groups,” Dr. Murphy continued. “This indicates that students from diverse backgrounds are taking the important steps necessary to prepare themselves for future academic pursuits.”

Arlington’s cumulative average is four points higher than Montgomery County public schools and seven points higher than Fairfax County schools. Scores in Fairfax, the region’s largest school system, were flat compared to last year, according to the Washington Post.

APS students also outperformed their state and national peers on the ACT college entrance exams.

Ctbeachbm

Now how about that pay raise for teachers. It’s been two years with no COLA or full step!
- cmg
  
  I second this motion. The teachers are going to have to start moving out of Arlington because they can’t afford to live here anymore.
- Recession
  
  You do realize that you haven’t received a COLA increase because there’s this little thing called a “recession” that’s just now winding down. Very few, if any industries recieved COLA increases during the last two years.
  - South Arlington
    
    What a typical “if I can’t have it, you can’t either” attitude. If there’s one area that could use COLA increases, it’s the Arlington teachers. Make it a priority in the budget instead of HOT lane lawsuits and “public art”.
    - Recession
      
      Not really an attitude, that’s just stating a fact. And you could make the case that Arlington teachers are probably being paid at an appropriate level, judging by the test scores they produce and the ranking of the county public schools. Additionaly, they are paid more than teachers in surrounding counties.
- Let’s Be Free
  
  I haven’t gotten a raise in four years. A lot of people who lost jobs along the way are making less, not more or equal.
  
  Arlington teachers are incredibly well-paid with secure jobs and incredibly generous benefits; they are quite frankly, underworked and overly supervised and programmed. There is incredibly waste and fat throughout APS. Good management could reduce APS expenses by a third or more with no appreciable impact on education quality.
- Let’s Be Free
  
  Deflation=no COLA. Duh!
Thes

WTG Arlington students! And thanks to the teachers, administrators and support staff that helped it happen!
ArlTeacher

I got to work at 7 AM and worked, only stopping for a 30 minute lunch break, until 4:30 PM. I taught five classes, read four student writeups, made two calls to parents and went to two meetings. I am not, quite frankly, underworked. I’m fine with not getting a raise, but please don’t undervalue my work, and the work of my fellow teachers.

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