York Town News
York High School makes the grade
By Jennifer L. Saunders
YORK - The numbers are in, and last year's York High School junior class scored well above the state average - and tops among area school districts - in the Standardized Aptitude Test (SAT) assessment."The SATs were administered last year as a requirement of No Child Left Behind," explained Superintendent of Schools Dr. Henry Scipione in sharing the results with the School Committee last week. "… We scored within the top 10 percent for the state of Maine."
York's cumulative scores were 485 in math, 480 in reading and 479 in writing, and while local educators acknowledged this may be a drop from the prior year's cumulative scores, that is because it is not an apples-to-apples comparison. This past year, each school in Maine was required to administer the tests to all students whereas, in the past, typically it was those students planning to pursue college study who opted to take the tests, administrators and the School Committee members have explained.
York historically has had high participation, even before the No Child Left Behind assessment requirement, Scipione told the School Committee, but there was a significant increase during this past year's tests, with almost 100 percent of the current senior class taking the SAT.
"We had an extremely high participation rate - higher than the state average, actually," Scipione said, explaining this is an ongoing No Child Left Behind assessment requirement for math, reading and writing.
A total of 170 York High School students took the test. He noted there was no SAT preparation course offered at York High School last year, but one will be available this year for the math and reading tests. The preparation course is not a requirement, but merely an option.
Compared with the state, York averaged about 40 points higher on each test. For example, York scored 485 in math compared to the state average of 444. In reading, York's average was 480 compared to the state score of 443. The writing score for York was 479, compared to 435 for the state.
"We also recognize the fact that we can improve this, and we're addressing this from the standpoint of a curriculum review and, in particular, the content pieces," Scipione said.
When compared with its neighboring districts in York County, York also came out on top. For math, reading and writing, respectively, Kittery's scores were 462, 454 and 438; Marshwood's scores were 482, 460 and 454; Noble's were 438, 430 and 425, and Wells-Ogunquit's were 467, 468 and 467, according to information compiled by the Maine Department of Education.
"We're showing a steady increase in students who are electing for post-secondary education," Scipione told the School Committee.
School Committee Chairwoman Patty Hymanson asked Scipione to comment on York's strong standing, and he cited such efforts as improved curriculum, professional development and the commitment to education demonstrated by local students and parents.
