News: Loudoun County Public Schools SAT Scores Rise by 4 Points; Hispanic Students Make Big Gains, Half of Schools See Drop

(Sept. 16, 2010) - The average overall SAT scores rose four points – to 1597 – for Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) students taking the test in the spring of 2010.

The official results of the 2010 SAT's were released by the College Board on Monday, September 13th.

This continues a five-year trend that has seen LCPS' overall average SAT scores rise 36 points. Virginia's overall SAT scores have dropped four points and national scores seven points during the same time period.

Virginia's average SAT score was 1521 and the average national score 1509 for 2010.

Despite the gain, five of Loudoun's 10 high schools saw a drop -- Broad Run, Freedom, Heritage, Loudoun County and Loudoun Valley -- while double digit increases at Dominion (+21), Park View (+27) and Potomac Falls (+27) kept the school district on the rise. In particular, Hispanic students taking the test saw a 40-point gain.


In 2010, the LCPS critical reading score was 535, up two points from 2009. This was 23 points higher than the Virginia average (which rose one point) and 34 points higher than the national average (which was unchanged from the previous year).

The average LCPS mathematics score was 536, up a point from 2009. This was 24 points above the Virginia average, which did not change, and 20 points above the national average, which was up a point.

In writing, the average LCPS score was 526, up a point from 2009. The state average was 497 (down a point) and the national average 492 (up a point).

Altogether, 2,654 LCPS students took the SAT in 2010.

The results by school were:

Briar Woods High School

The overall average score was 1598, up five points from 2009. The component scores were: critical reading 531 (down two points), math 534 (up two points) and writing 533 (up five points).

Broad Run High School

Broad Run's overall average score was 1611, down five points from 2009. The component scores were: critical reading 541 (up 10 points), mathematics 542 (down four points) and writing 528 (down 11 points).

Dominion High School

Dominion's average overall SAT score rose 21 points to 1607. The component scores were: critical reading 539 (up nine points), mathematics 538 (up four points) and writing 530 (up eight points).

Freedom High School

Freedom posted an overall average score of 1543, down six points from 2009. The component scores were: critical reading 512 (down six points), mathematics 524 (up three points) and writing 507 (down three points).

Heritage High School

Heritage's overall average score was 1559, down eight points. The component scores were: critical reading 521 (down seven points), mathematics 520 (no change) and writing 518 (down a point).

Loudoun County High School

Loudoun County's overall average score was 1607, down nine points from 2009. The component scores were: critical reading 542 (down two points), mathematics 536 (down six points) and writing 529 (down a point).

Loudoun Valley High School

Loudoun Valley's average overall score was 1622, down a dozen points from 2009. The component scores were: critical reading 548 (down seven points), mathematics 545 (plus five points) and writing 529 (down 10 points).

Park View High School

Park View's overall average score went up 27 points to 1474. The component scores were: critical reading 499 (up a dozen points), mathematics 493 (up eight points) and writing 482 (up seven points).

Potomac Falls High School

Potomac Falls' overall average score went up 35 points to 1626. The component scores were: critical reading 542 (plus 13 points), mathematics 550 (up nine points) and writing 534 (up 13 points).

Stone Bridge High School

Stone Bridge's overall average SAT score went up two points to 1639. The component scores were: critical reading 547 (up three points), mathematics 550 (down four points) and writing 542 (up three points).

SAT scores rose for all four major ethnic groups among LCPS students.

The overall average score for African-American students rose eight points to 1403. The component scores among these students were: critical reading 473 (up two points); mathematics 464 (up four points); and writing 466 (up two points).

Hispanic students saw a 40-point jump in their average SAT score to 1475. Their component scores were: critical reading 496 (up 15 points); mathematics 494 (up 15 points); and writing 485 (up 10 points).

Asian students had an average overall score of 1612, up a point from 2009. Their component scores were: critical reading 526 (up seven points); mathematics 554 (down six points); and writing 532 (no change from 2009).

White students had an average overall score of 1636, up four points from last year. The component scores were: critical reading 548 (up two points); mathematics 540 (up two points); and writing 548 (no change from 2009).

“The results are always a tribute to the work of students, school administrators and parents,” said LCPS Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Sharon D. Ackerman.

She attributed some of the gains posted on the SAT's to an added emphasis on students taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes. A consistent goal in LCPS is for virtually every student to have one college level class by the time they graduate. This year there are 7,145 students enrolled in 13,345 AP classes.

“I believe that our students' continued improvement in SAT scores is related to the increase in students' participation in AP classes over the last six to eight years,” said Ackerman. “Middle school principals have joined the initiative by implementing a close monitoring of students' course selections in grades six through eight, with the goal of students experiencing at least one honors class in preparation for high school.

“These results allow us to look at why and where we have been successful, as well as the traditional look at where we can assist students to improve their performance.”