Studens score above average on SAT's

Oakmont students' average SAT scores were higher then the average for public school students throughout the state.

One hundred thirty-four Oakmont students took the annual exam, which is usually given to seniors in the fall and juniors in the spring.

The SAT Reasoning Test is one of the primary factors upon which college admissions decisions are based, and other considerations typically include a student's grade point average and the course of study, co-curricular activities and application essay questions. The SATs are divided into three separate sections with 800 being the top score in each section.

The average score for Oakmont students on the critical reading section was 524, on the math section was 543 and in the writing section was 530.

The College Board, which is the independent organization that oversees the administration and the scoring of the test, said Massachusetts students in public schools scored an average of 505 on the critical reading section, 516 on the math section and 501 on the writing section.

At Oakmont the math and the writing scores represented a five-point increase from the 2006 score, while the critical reading scored a two-point decrease from 2006.

"We're extremely proud of our students' SAT Reasoning Test scores, particularly as they stack up against the state average," said Oakmont Principal David Uminski. "Although there's always room for improvement, these results show that our students work hard and our teachers do a great job preparing students for college level work."

Across the state 82 percent of public high school seniors took the SATs, making Massachusetts third in the country for participation.

The College Board also released the average scores for the state and the nation on the Advanced Placement Exams, which are tests given across the country to determine if students can receive college credit for courses they take in high school

Students who achieved a score of three, four or five on the Advanced Placement Tests are eligible to receive college credit at most colleges and universities.

Students can take more than one advanced placement course a year and they can attempt an advanced placement exam in a class they have not taken at the advanced level of instruction.

Of the 76 Advanced Placement tests that were taken at Oakmont in 2007, nearly 91percent, or 69 test scores, met or exceeded the standard for college credit.

"Once again, these scores demonstrate that we have many academically gifted scholars at Oakmont and our AP curriculum and teachers are achieving great results," said Uminski.

Statewide 44,832 AP exams were taken and of that total 32,146 (72 percent) received a score of 3 or higher, according to the Department of Education.