ACT and SAT
ACT
October 11, 2023
UPDATE 10/23/23: More congratulations to the Class of 2023 and our outstanding teachers, staff and leaders! According to additional data released by the state, CCSD ranks No. 2 for ACT scores among metro Atlanta counties and No. 2 in the state among districts with more than 200 students tested.
The Cherokee County School District Class of 2023 ACT scores increased and continued to exceed national and state averages!
The class scored an exemplary 22.9 average, up from 22.2 last school year, surpassing Georgia’s 21.3 (down from 21.6) and the Nation’s 19.5 (down from 19.8) averages on the competitive college entrance and placement examination.
Students earn a score on a scale of 1 to 36. The average CCSD scores by subject on the ACT used to calculate the overall composite average are: English, 22.3 (up from 21.4); Math, 22 (up from 21.6); Reading, 23.9 (up from 23.1); Science, 22.9 (up from 22.2).
The ACT is taken in lieu of or along with the SAT, and the Class of 2023’s ACT scores mirror its strong SAT results released earlier this fall. The ACT scores reflect 1,078 CCSD students taking the exam, down from 1,173 the previous school year … a decline likely due to universities waiving entrance exam requirements.
Scores from CCSD’s high schools surpassed state and national averages: Cherokee HS, 22.7 (up from 21.1); Creekview HS, 23.1 (up from 22.3); Etowah HS, 22.5 (down from 22.9); River Ridge HS, 22 (down from 22.6); Sequoyah HS, 23.9 -- the highest overall score in CCSD (up from 22.6); and Woodstock HS, 23.1 (up from 21.8). A school score was not provided by ACT for i-Grad Virtual Academy.
SAT
Cherokee County School District’s SAT scores continue to top statewide and national results, according to results released today by the College Board.
The CCSD Class of 2024 earned an average total score of 1083 on the curriculum-based college entrance and placement exam, outscoring the national public school average by 88 points and the state by 53 points. The scores rank CCSD in the top 10% of school districts statewide.
“I’m so proud of our Class of 2024 for this achievement demonstrating their academic success,” Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis said. “We are dedicated to students learning more, growing more, and achieving more in a CCSD classroom than they could anywhere else. Our teachers, as validated by our SAT scores, are continuing to elevate the excellence in their work to increase student learning.”
The SAT, the most commonly recognized measure of achievement for high school students, measures critical reading and mathematics abilities. It includes two 800-point sections: Evidence Based Reading & Writing (ERW) and Mathematics, with a possible total score of 1600; a third section, a writing exam, is optional.
The CCSD Class of 2024 average ERW score is 553 -- 26 points higher than Georgia and 46 over U.S., and the Math is 529 -- 26 over Georgia and 41 over the U.S. The top 4% of CCSD’s scores surpassed a 1400 average, an increase from 3% for 2023.
CCSD’s six traditional high schools also each topped national and state averages on the SAT. Their scores are: Cherokee HS, 1078; Creekview HS, 1101 – the highest in CCSD; Etowah HS, 1058; River Ridge HS, 1075; Sequoyah HS, 1098; and Woodstock HS, 1092. CCSD’s online high school, i-Grad Virtual Academy, scored 989.
While CCSD continues to outperform state and national benchmarks on this measure, average scores decreased by 11 in CCSD, 15 in Georgia and eight in the U.S. as compared to 2023, dipping from 1094, 1045 and 1003, respectively. While CCSD students continue to outperform peers on the SAT, the district also has increased the number of students taking this important post-secondary readiness assessment; CCSD increased to 57% participation with 1,834 students -- an additional 113 students from 2023’s 56%, and Georgia climbed to 52% from 50%.
Superintendent Davis said the Cherokee County School Board is committed to ensuring the highest quality education is possible in CCSD classrooms and recognize this excellent achievement is a reflection of a highly engaged student body at each school along with extraordinary dedication and talent of classroom teachers and school leaders.
While the majority of high school students take the SAT, some choose to take the ACT, a different college entrance exam, and some students take both; ACT scores will be released late this fall.
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