By Ketki Chauhan ‘16

Average SAT scores for the Class of 2014 increased overall in MCPS while declining at Sherwood. The scores are used by Sherwood administrators to target students who are struggling and to see what areas students overall need more improvement on. The scores, however, do not dictate what is taught to the students.

Sherwood’s Class of 2014 had an average total SAT score of 1588, compared to 1611 for the Class of 2013. For a number of years, Sherwood’s average SAT scores ranked the school near the middle of the county’s 25 high schools.

The school’s participation rate for taking the SAT has also dropped from 82.9 percent to 78.6 percent. However, the percentage of last year’s seniors who have taken either the SAT or the ACT was 83.7 percent, which is higher than the goal of at least 80 percent established in Sherwood’s School Improvement Plan.

Another school goal, according to Assistant Principal Kathryn Carroll, is that 68 percent of students score a 1650 or higher on the SAT. A 1650 score is considered by MCPS as the benchmark for college readiness. “The challenge has been that about 48 percent of our students who take the SAT or ACT make 1650 on the SAT and at least 24 on the ACT. It is not only important that you take the test, but also that you do well on the test,” said Carroll.

Carroll uses the College Readiness Monitoring Tool to identify students who have not taken SAT/ACT and also students who did not score 1650 on the SAT or 24 on the ACT. She shares information, practice test material and other resources to help students prepare for the college exam of their choice. Some students choose to take the exams for a second time after more test preparation based on their individual goals. Students are also advised to enroll in the College Prep class here at Sherwood.

Principal Bill Gregory believes participation is important to keep in mind when looking at the school’s scores. He points out that a few schools with better scores have lower participation rates. Gregory values both participation and performance and would not like to see an improvement in scores if participation is dropping at the same time.

Math resource teacher Jordan Bennett envisions more students preparing for college entrance tests through resources like the PSAT, mock tests and preparation classes. He believes that there are many factors in being successful on the SAT, which includes test taking strategies. He added that many students at Sherwood understand the mathematical concepts on the SAT; however there are other variables that affect the scores.

English resource teacher Shelley Jackson said that students who score well on the verbal sections are usually good readers. She points out that nationally and locally, students are reading less which she believes contributes to the poor scores. “Pretty soon, we are going to have a society where people who can read carefully will have way more power than those who cannot. That is already true to some extent, and it is going to become more true,” she said. The department’s goal, according to Jackson, is to help students build those close reading skills that will help students on the SAT, however students still need to read more on their own.

Gregory points out that Sherwood’s SAT scores do not alone reflect the school as Sherwood excels in AP exams and participation rates. “[The SAT] is one piece of information that is beneficial to the student and for the school in terms of preparing students for life after high school and also for helping the school shape its program,” said Gregory.