DeKalb County students narrow state achievement gap on SAT, and outperform minority students nationwide.

In 2017, more than 3,500 students in the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) took the SAT, and their performance narrowed achievement gaps for district students compared to the state while outperforming minority student achievement nationwide.

“This year’s SAT is a good lens through which to view the college readiness of our students. More than before, we are clearly seeing how our students are closing gaps in performance with their peers,” said R. Stephen Green, Superintendent/CEO. “We are not where we expect to be just yet, but we are very proud of the progress our students are making. Every step counts, and we are moving forward.”

The District’s total composite score continues to improve year-over-year. DeKalb’s 2017 total mean score for the SAT was 980. DeKalb’s 2017 individual mean score for the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing test was 502, and the individual mean score for the Mathematics test was 477.

A deeper dive into the numbers shows exciting news for DCSD students: Due to the inception of the new version of the SAT, this year establishes a baseline for performance on the new SAT and no subject area comparisons can be made to performance in prior years. However, when it comes to growth in SAT progress, the following highlights have been observed regarding academic growth in DCSD compared to Georgia and the nation.

  • In 2016, DCSD trailed Georgia’s public-school SAT performance by 107 points. In 2017, DeKalb scored within 60 points of the state average, narrowing state-wide achievement gaps.
  • In 2016, DCSD scored 132 points behind the national public-school average. In 2017, DeKalb scored within 64 points of the national average, displaying competitiveness with public schools across the United States.

Minority student performance on the 2017 SAT in DCSD outperformed minority student achievement nationwide, with mean SAT scores outpacing students across the United States:

  • Black student performance in DeKalb outscored national performance of Black students by 12-points: DCSD (943); nation (931).
  • Hispanic student performance in DeKalb outscored national performance of Hispanic students by 8-points: DCSD (987); Nation (979).

DeKalb High Schools Outperform State and National SAT Scores – In addition to increased student performance district-wide, five DeKalb County high schools exceeded both state and national scores in both Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Mathematics, illustrating significant levels of student readiness for college in core content areas as well as competitiveness with high school students nationwide:

  • Chamblee Charter (1131)
  • DeKalb Early College Academy (1068) – Title I School
  • DeKalb School of the Arts (1170)
  • Dunwoody High School (1110)
  • Lakeside (1098) – Title I School