LOCAL SAT SCORES HEADING WRONG WAY

Falling SAT scores are one of the factors driving local educators to focus more attention on the basics at public schools in the region.

A new three-section format for the SAT College Prep exam has been in effect for the past two years. The new format includes: critical reading (similar to the "verbal" tests of the past), math and writing.

A perfect score would be 2,400, or 800 on each section. Nationally, the average test score for students seeking college admission was 1,540.

Local scores were significantly lower:

Cameron County: In 2007, 44 students were tested with an average total of 1,323, a drop from the 2006 average of 1,387. This year's averages were 442 in critical reading, 447 in math and 434 in writing.

Coudersport: Forty-eight students were tested in 2007 with an average score of 1,449. The 2006 average was 1,481. Breakdown in 2007 was 474 in critical reading, 496 in math and 479 in writing.

Austin: Average score for the 11 students tested in 2007 was 1,424; 476 in critical reading, 479 in math and 469 in writing. No test results were reported for 2006 because only seven students took the test.

Students in other area schools also came in under the national average of 1,540. Their results for 2007, with 2006 figures in parentheses, were as follows: Smethport 1,441 (1,468); Northern Potter 1,447 (1,371); Port Allegany 1,396 (1,383); Oswayo Valley 1,451 (1,434); Kane 1,384 (1,385); St. Marys 1,431 (1,440); Otto-Eldred 1,395 (1,453); Johnsonburg 1,379 (1,312); Ridgway 1,420 (1,382).

Critical reading measures a student's ability to understand and analyze what is read, recognize relationships between parts of a sentence and understand a word's meaning in context.

Math section covers basic algebra, geometry, data analysis, statistics and probability.

The writing section measures a person's ability to use standard written English, identify sentence errors, write and essay and develop a point of view.