SAT Scores Strong, But Leave Room for Improvement

By Jeff White

Newtown High School’s performance on the 1998 Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) showed vast improvement over the previous school year, so it did not surprise Principal Bill Manfredonia that the school’s scores on the Standardized Aptitude Test (SAT) in 1999 were strong.

The average NHS verbal and math score for 1999 was 523 and 535, respectively. Assistant Principal Susan Battersby said this week that more NHS students than ever took the SAT last year, a total of 242, up 13 students from the 1997-98 school year.

Mrs Battersby commented that the 1999 average verbal and math scores at NHS exceeded national averages for both the verbal and math sections, which were 505 and 511, respectively.

However, NHS’ average verbal score was down 14 points from 1998, which has captured the attention of administrators. “We are concerned about it,” said Mrs Battersby.

Plans are already in place for increased SAT training at the high school, with every effort being made to blend SAT skills into the established curriculum. Sample SAT math questions will be incorporated into the math curriculum and strategies stressing vocabulary and reading-response passages will be worked into the high school’s English curriculum.

High school teachers are also looking into developing an SAT guide.

“The concerted effort of the high school has been outstanding,” Assistant Superintendent of Schools Robert Kuklis said of the SAT results.

The steady growth in the number of NHS students who have taken the SAT over the past six years reflects the increase in the amount of students attending four-year colleges. In 1999, 88 percent of Newtown graduates attended a four-year college, up from 80 percent in 1994.