Upper St. Clair posts highest SAT scores in Pittsburgh
The 335 Upper St. Clair high school students who took the SAT college entrance exam in 2013 have ranked number five in the state and number one in the Pittsburgh region with a combined SAT score of 1,736.
The district was number one in the region and ranked seventh in the state in 2012, according to data from the state department of education.
Curriculum leaders said as they prepare to switch to a different SAT test in 2016, it’s prepping students for any test that has had the biggest impact.
“With Keystone exams, ACT subject tests and the general curriculum, you have to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills that can be applied to any test and beyond the classroom,” math curriculum leader Steve Miller said.
“Almost none of our modules in class has multiple choice options like the SAT, so they know the work that goes behind these types of problems,” Miller said.
About 10-15 percent of students take optional SAT prep courses outside of class, Miller said. The electives don’t count for class credit.
“Those classes teach how to really evaluate a problem with given information and come to the conclusion you would even if you didn’t have multiple choice options,” Miller said.
For reading and writing portions of the SAT, English curriculum leader Melissa Tungate said basic K-12 curricula is refined each year to develop the best aspects for each grade.
“We evaluate what we’re teaching twice a year…10th and 11th grade classes have special vocabulary comprehension for the reading portion,” Tungate said, “and we structure our grammar courses like the SAT so they’re using that as a preparation tool.”
“What we’re emphasizing for the change in 2016 is context and connotation, because a lot of esoteric and seldom used words will be taken out in favor of more commonly used words.”
Overall, the teachers attribute the consistent high scores to a healthy competitiveness among students, and supportive parents at home.
“We have a high population of students who take advanced placement courses and international baccalaureate classes.”
After changes were announced to the SAT in 2013, several admissions officers from top-ranked universities clarified how they use the test to determine which applicants are given entrance to the school.
“Generally speaking, the SAT is not very important,” Harvard undergraduate admissions director Marilyn McGrath told USA Today. “It helps us calibrate a student’s grades.” “SAT scores play a role in our admissions, but they are not the primary factor in decision making. We use holistic admissions in determining if an applicant is admitted to Pitt. This means that we take all of the numerical factors into account, such as SAT, GPA, etc., but we also incorporate short answer question responses and letters of recommendation when provided, as well as the intended field of study, relevant coursework, strength of curriculum, etc.,” University of Pittsburgh chief enrollment officer Marc Harding wrote in an email.
The dean of undergraduate admissions at Duke University, Christoph Guttentag, told USA Today that the two most important pieces of a student’s applications are letters of recommendation and extracurricular activities.
“The SATs and other tests, they’re useful in terms of understanding a student’s academic preparation. But they still correlate with family income. If there was a way to have them be less influenced by the degree of educational and social advantage a student has, that would be better for the admissions process.”
Most area colleges, including California University of Pennsylvania and Washington and Jefferson College, require SAT scores to be considered for admission unless applying in a “score optional” process which applies more weight to other academic aspects of a student’s achievement record.