CHAPEL HILL- Three of Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s high schools placed in the top five statewide for SAT scores this year. Jeff Nash, executive director for community relations, says that’s due to the hard work of students and teachers.

“We’re certainly excited that the scores look good. That’s always a nice tribute to our teachers and the hard work of our students and their families,” says Nash. “But of course we are always careful not to rest on that. There is a lot more to do, and we will continue pushing forward.”

Among public non-charter and non-magnet schools, Chapel Hill High and East Chapel Hill High ranked first and second in the state, with SAT scores averaging 1,797 and 1,783. Carrboro High ranked fifth, with an average score of 1,683. The district’s average score has increased by twenty points in the last two years.

In general, students in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school system score about 300 points higher than the state and national averages, with 30 percent more students in the district taking the test than across the country.

However, Nash says district-wide participation is dropping due to the rise in ACT testing.

“Every student is taking the ACT and it’s paid for by the state, so in a lot of cases where a student has the option to use an ACT or SAT with their college application, it would just be a good idea for the student to use their ACT test, either because its higher or because they don’t have to pay to take the SAT,” says Nash. “I think we’re seeing a drop in our state, and probably other states too where students are taking the ACT.”

Nonetheless, Nash says 86 percent of all Chapel Hill-Carrboro high-schoolers take the SAT.

The district also showed a 7.7 percent increase in the number of students taking Advanced Placement exams, according to numbers just released by The College Board.

Key Statistics:
• Chapel Hill High, East Chapel Hill High and Carrboro High ranked first, second and fifth in the state for SAT scores.
• CHCCS scores are nearly 300 points higher on SAT than the average score in N.C. and the United States.
• Number of students taking SAT is 15% higher in CHCCS than in N.C.
• Number of students taking SAT is almost 30% higher in CHCCS than in the United States.

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