The Cobb County School District released 2019 Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores on Tuesday, and four East Cobb high schools lead the way.
Walton (1,288), Pope (1,220) and Lassiter (1,212) had average classwide scores exceeding 1,200, while Wheeler (1,196) came close.
Wheeler’s jump of 49 points was the highest of the 16 high schools in the Cobb County School District.
“Wheeler continues to focus on providing the best overall learning experience for ALL students,” Wheeler Principal Paul Gillihan said in a statement issued by the school district.
“We strongly believe that SAT scores do not define our students nor our school but only provide evidence of the work that is being done daily to prepare our students for college and careers.”
Walton’s score is up 20 points from 2018. Full district scores and details can be found here.
The SAT is administered by the College Board, and tests students in two cluster subject areas: Math and ERW (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing). The score grading is from 400 to 1,600.
The Cobb district-wide average was 1,114, a seven-point gain from 2018 and 66 points above the state of Georgia average. Nearly 5,600 Cobb students took the SAT.
What follows below are the six East Cobb high school scores, as well as the Cobb, Georgia and national results.
# Test Takers
ERW Mean
Math Mean
2019 Overall Mean
2018 Overall Mean
Kell
256
541
531
1,072
1,059
Lassiter
447
606
605
1,212
1,204
Pope
360
615
605
1,220
1,203
Sprayberry
281
539
505
1,044
1,049
Walton
563
640
649
1,288
1,262
Wheeler
333
597
598
1,196
1,147
Cobb
5,596
565
549
1,114
1,107
Georgia
533
515
1,048
1,064
National
524
515
1,039
1,068
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I recently asked a family member (HS student) if he/she was ready for the math portion of the SAT exam. He/she stated “yes” because the classroom material was the SAT math.
Nothing like teaching to pass an exam rather than to truly educate a young mind.
Victor Mateo,
Very cogent response and points. I have been an East Cobb resident since 1996 and I can assure you the schools have done a great job and offer students who try, a great educational opportunity. Knowing school quality is an important part of my job. In fact, the schools are why the bulk of clients who contact me from all over the US and even foreign countries want me to help them find a home in East Cobb. Before you pick someones words apart, you should make sure you understand the context in which they are given.
I did not realize that the progressive leftism found in our whack-o states like CA had found its way here to what I thought was a reasonably conservative Cobb County school system.
Comment by Wheeler’s principal is nothing but leftist gibberish. If this is what we have leadng and teaching next our generation, we’re in trouble.
Quote: Wheeler continues to focus on providing the best overall learning experience for ALL students,” Wheeler Principal Paul Gillihan said in a statement issued by the school district.
(Comment – since the purpose of school is to educate, what does ‘ALL students’ mean, as that SHOULD be a given and needs no saying. Nonsensical words. An I missing some cultural signaling here?)
“We strongly believe that SAT scores do not define our students nor our school but only provide evidence of the work that is being done daily to prepare our students for college and careers.”
(Now I’m really confused. First he claims that SAT scores don’t define them, and in the same sentence says SAT scores prove things are improving. So SAT is both good and bad? Sorry, my logic is challenged here . . . Educators get to set the curriculum, and they set the measurement of student attainment of meeting the goals THAT THEY SET – by using the testing process THAT THEY DESIGNED. So please explain just how testing, designed by the very people who also teach, is ANYTHING BUT “defining” success or failure when it comes to meeting learning goals?)
Wendy. Thank you for this article. It exposes that we have a problem in our schools if this type of thought is really what this principal believes, as it has no basis in reality, and he is not preparing his kids for the real world. The parents should be alarmed.
Is anyone investigating here to see what is going on?
Lewis, Wheeler High School is basically two schools in one–the Wheeler Magnet School with top students that must be admitted to the program and the regular high school. I am pretty sure that when the Principal at Wheeler stated that “Wheeler continues to focus on providing the best overall learning experience for ALL students,” he wants to make it clear that the school’s focus is not just on the magnet program. In regards to his comment about how the “SAT scores do not define our students nor our school,” you need to understand that there is much more to a student’s development than his/her test scores like for example, good moral character, sense of community, athletic development, etc. A bad SAT score does not make that student a bad person or even a bad student. Additionally, there are many factors that could affect a student’s academic performance–many of them are completely unrelated to what happens at school. Your words seem to come from lack of knowledge so I wanted to share some facts that hopefully will help you look at this article and the comments made by our hard working school principals in a more positive light. Remember that “it takes a village.” 🙂