Locally, 71 percent of students earned scores of three or higher, compared to 60.3 percent of Virginia students and 60.9 percent of students nationally taking the tests.
Students taking AP courses in high school have the opportunity to take the test in that subject area. Anyone with a score of three or higher, earns college credit, said Gena Keller, school superintendent.
“It’s impressive that our students at Fluvanna County High School continue to perform well on the AP test,” Keller said. “This is not an easy mark to meet.”
Fluvanna students do well in English courses, with scores averaging 3.24 in English Language and Composition and 3.20 in English Literature and Composition. The national average in those courses is 2.77 and 2.81 respectively. In 11 AP areas tested, Fluvanna students beat state and national averages in eight.
Last year, the high school offered 17 AP courses taken by 190 students; 64 of those students earned college credit by passing the exams.
This year, the school added AP Human Geography and World History.
Teachers continue to expand their range as well, Keller said, with two Social Studies teachers participating in the AP Institute offered by the College Board.
Students also earn college credit by taking dual enrollment classes online, at the high school or at Piedmont Virginia Community College and the University of Virginia.
Students in the Pre-Engineering Program, “Project Lead the Way” also earn college credit, Keller said.
The College Board also released SAT statistics for the 2012-2013 school year. Fewer Fluvanna students took the SATs last year than the year before. Last year, 59 percent of students took the test prior to graduation compared to 64 percent of the prior class.
According to a survey of the class of 2013, fewer students planned on attending a four-year college, said Fluvanna director of curriculum and instruction Brenda Gilliam.
“Because two-year colleges do not require students to take the SAT, fewer students in the class of 2013 took the test,” Gilliam said. “This increase in the number of students planning to attend two-year colleges is largely economic. Students know they can get a quality education at our two –year institutions and transfer to the four-year institutions after earning an associate’s degree.”
According to the statistics released, Fluvanna students’ SAT scores only surpassed students nationally in the area of critical reasoning. Fluvanna’s scores averaged 506 compared to a national average of 491. Within the state, Fluvanna was bested in all categories: critical reading, math and writing.
There was a one-point decrease in math scores and a nine-point decrease in writing from the year before.
Keller said the school offers free, after-school SAT preparation programs to help students. Taking higher level math courses also help, Keller said.
