Public school students in Georgia's Class of 2018 improved their scores on the SAT this year and outperformed the national mean score of 1049 with a mean of 1054, according to a release from the Georgia Department of Education.
"We are seeing historic improvements in our education outcomes here in Georgia," state School Superintendent Richard Woods said. "On the SAT, which was once used to label Georgia as 'last in the nation' in education, Georgia's public school students are now beating the national average - that's in addition to an all-time-high graduation rate and students beating the national average on the ACT as well. We have made unprecedented investments in a well-rounded, student-centered education system and we're seeing the results of that shift.
"Most importantly," Woods said, "our students and educators have worked tirelessly, and I commend them. Every educator, student, and supporter of public education in this state should feel a deep pride in the progress our schools are making."
Georgia's improvements took place even as more students took the SAT during high school this year, with participation rising from 61 percent in 2017 to 66 percent this year.
Georgia students outperformed the nation by eight points in evidence-based reading and writing with a score of 537, compared to the national average of 529. In math, Georgia students increased their average from 515 in 2017 to 517 this year but still fell below the national average of 520.
"I'm encouraged to see Georgia's performance in math improving, and am confident that trend will continue," Woods said. "We've worked in the last several years to restore our districts' options for high school math instruction and allow them to teach math more traditionally if that's what works for their community. I think we'll continue to see positive results from that common-sense approach."
In Georgia, 42 percent of public-school students met both of the College Board's College Readiness Benchmarks. Seventy-three percent met the evidence-based reading and writing benchmark and 43 percent met the math benchmark.
Students who meet the College Readiness Benchmarks show they are likely ready to take and succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing college courses, according to The College Board.
The 2017 SAT results set a new baseline for year-to-year comparisons. Results from earlier reports were based on the old SAT, which had a different score scale and different benchmarks. The 2017 and 2018 SAT scores are comparable, but comparisons to 2016 or earlier are not accurate, according to the education department.