AND THEY ARE SOO PROUD OF THEMSELVES

The Real School Police

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Contact: Derrick Dickey
(770) 220-0210
Governor Perdue Announces Highest SAT Ranking in Georgia's History With SAT ranking on the rise, why would we ever go back?
ATLANTA, GA- Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that Georgia has achieved the highest SAT ranking in our state's history. This year Georgia jumped past Florida, Hawaii, Pennsylvania and South Carolina to 46th in the national rankings."Today's ranking shows that Governor Perdue's efforts to improve SAT scores are getting results," said Perdue Campaign Communications Director Derrick Dickey. "The Governor has created a classroom environment in which our hardworking teachers and students can be more successful than ever before. He has also launched innovative programs that are making a real difference in the academic progress of our students." The new rankings are a marked improvement from the SAT scores Governor Perdue inherited from the Barnes-Taylor administration. In 2002, Georgia's SAT ranking fell to 50th out of 50 states.Since taking office, Governor Perdue has been working to improve SAT scores by:
Providing access to free online SAT prep courses. Approximately 100,000 students took advantage of the free online prep in 2005;
Creating the Georgia Virtual High School which provides students across the state with online access to more rigorous courses;
Adopting a more rigorous academic curriculum;
Increasing the number of students taking Advanced Placement courses in high school; and
Creating the Governor's Cup Challenge, an SAT improvement competition among Georgia high schools.
Under Governor Perdue, SAT scores have risen steadily, closing the gap on the national average. In 2002, Georgia's average SAT score was 980. That score jumped four points in 2003, three points in 2004, and six points in 2005 to a total of 993. And with this year's ranking, the Governor has helped paint a more accurate picture to the global business community of the strength and quality of Georgia's students. Georgia's SAT ranking is on the rise, but there is still more work to be done. Why would we ever go back?