Source: Frisco ISD

District test scores consistently higher than state, national level

The Frisco ISD board of trustees in November learned about SAT scoring trends as well as the changes the SAT is expected to roll out in 2016.

FISD Director of Assessment and Accountability Gary Nye said a total of 1,571 FISD students took the SAT test in 2014. The SAT tests a student in components of math, reading and writing, with each section netting a total of 800 possible points.

Statistics show FISD students on average score significantly higher than their peers on a state and national level.

Also, FISD students have shown average score increases for each of the past five years, while state and national scores have shown decreases, according to statistics from The College Board.

"Our students have achieved great success on the SAT over the years," said Angela Romney, the district's area director of secondary instruction. "We recognize that a lot of that success is due to students' hard work, but the credit can also go to our teachers and our administrators and our counselors and everything that is going on in the classroom."

Frisco ISD students are prepared for both SAT and ACT tests through coursework including the TEKS test; FISD curriculum written by teachers; an emphasis on critical thinking, writing and problem solving; and encouragement for students to take advanced coursework.

"The biggest key to success on the SAT as well as college and career readiness is rigorous coursework, and we offer a lot of rigorous coursework in Frisco ISD," Romney said.

The redesign of the SAT, set to go into effect in spring 2016, "will focus on knowledge and skills that current research shows are most essential for college and career readiness and success," Nye said.

In addition to content changes, there will also no longer be a penalty for wrong test answers, Nye said.