Published December 30, 2020

By DAN TOMASELLO

LYNNFIELD — Lynnfield High students continue to perform well on the SAT exam, Principal Bob Cleary said during a recent School Committee meeting.

Cleary recalled that the College Board overhauled the SAT exam four years ago. Before the SAT was updated, students were graded on three different areas on the exam — critical reading, writing and math for a combined score of 2,400. While the SAT still has a math section, the test now has an evidence-based reading section with an optional writing component (ERW) for a total score of 1,600.

“Our SAT numbers are similar to what we have done in the past,” said Cleary. “There wasn’t a major disruption caused by COVID-19. Our students are doing a great job on their standardized testing.”

The data revealed that the average ERW score for the Class of 2020 was 573, which was lower the Class of 2019’s average of 588.

According to the data, the Class of 2020’s average SAT math scores decreased slightly. Cleary said the average math score for the Class of 2020 was 574, which was less than the Class of 2019’s average score of 585.

Cleary noted that the ERW and math scores represent mean scores for the Class of 2020. He stressed that each class is different and shouldn’t be compared.

“It’s really unfair to be comparing year-to-year because it’s a completely different cohort of students,” said Cleary. “Every class has its own personality. Overall, you are not seeing any wildly different numbers either up or down. Our students are continuing to perform quite well.”

Cleary noted that LHS has averaged SAT scores in the “high 570s and 580s” over the past four years.

“That is pretty consistent across the board,” said Cleary. “We had a drop off several years ago, but there was a lot of work done by the English and Math Departments as well through our Understanding by Design initiative that helped us identify some of our strengths and weaknesses.”

The high school’s average ERW scores surpassed average scores reported at North Reading High School, Swampscott High School and Rockport High School. The high school’s scores were lower than scores reported at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School, Masconomet Regional High School and Wakefield Memorial High School.

Lynnfield High’s average math scores surpassed North Reading, Rockport and Wakefield’s scores, but they were lower than scores reported by Hamilton-Wenham, Masco and Swampscott.

“We are doing really well comparing to these other towns,” said Cleary. “We are not at the top, but we are solidly in the middle.”

The data revealed 13 members of the Class of 2020 earned scores between 700 and 800 on the ERW exam. There were 52 students who received scores between 600 and 699 on the reading and writing exam. Forty-three students had scores between 500 and 599. There were 34 students who received scores between 400 and 499.

There were two students who had scores between 300-399. There were no students who received scores between 200-299 on the SAT’s ERW exam.

In response to a question from School Committee member Tim Doyle, Cleary recalled that the high school has implemented more timed writing assignments in order to help prepare students for the ERW exam.

“We try to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each cohort that comes through,” said Cleary.

The SAT math exam’s results revealed 13 students earned scores between 700 and 800. There were 42 students who received scores between 600 and 699. There were 66 students who had scores between 500 and 599. There were 20 students who received scores between 400 and 499. There were three students who had scores between 300 and 399 on the SAT math exam. There were no students who received scores between 200 and 299.

Cleary noted that 94 percent of the Class of 2020 took the SAT during their junior year. He said the Guidance Department has encouraged every student to take the high stakes exam.

“When you look at neighboring communities, everybody is at 90 percent or are a few percentage points less,” said Cleary. “There are often students who are going directly into the workforce, the military or going to community college where the SAT wouldn’t be necessary, I think the Guidance Department does an outstanding job of encouraging all of our students to take the SAT regardless of what their immediate plans may be. If a student changes their mind and decides to go to a school that may require an SAT score, they have that in their toolbox.”

School Committee Chairman Jamie Hayman asked if the COVID-19 pandemic has “taken the SATs to the brink of irrelevance at this point.”

LHS Guidance Department Head Kathryn Moody said it’s too soon to tell.

“College decisions are just coming out, so there is not enough data just yet,” said Moody. “But in the next three to four months, we will get some real clear information from colleges in terms of what the applicant pool looked like and how they made their decisions. Kids are getting into colleges without any scores, so I am not worried about that. Schools are anecdotally saying right now that their score submissions are down by gapping percentages. I don’t know if they will go away altogether, but when the entire University of California system says they are not taking the scores, that has an enormous impact on College Board financially when an entire state’s system doesn’t use the scores.”

Moody also noted that college admission departments are going over students’ applications and transcripts with “a fine tooth comb.”

“Essays become more important,” said Moody. “Our students like to be involved, are good community members and are good conversationalists when they are talking to admissions people. I think that is a strength.”

Moody noted that the College Board has scheduled Tuesday, Jan. 26 as the date when schools can administer the PSAT to juniors.

“We are trying to see if it can work,” said Moody. “We would offer it just to the juniors. But in order to get all of those students in the building and be six-feet apart, it means not having everybody else in the building. We don’t have any control when we can offer it.”

Cleary agreed.

“In order to try and get that many students in the building to take that exam, it comes at the cost of every other student,” said Cleary. “I can’t be running classes around the building when I am going to have 150 students taking the exam.”

Superintendent Kristen Vogel noted that a lot of high schools are not offering the PSAT this year due to space and logistical issues.

Hayman said Lynnfield High should “find a way” to administer the PSAT to juniors. He suggested that LHS look into using a different location and possibly moving the Tuesday cohort to Wednesday.

“I think we should think creatively,” said Hayman.

In response to a question from School Committee Vice Chairman Rich Sjoberg, Moody said the Guidance Department has held Zoom teleconference presentations for both seniors and their parents about the college search process. She also said the Guidance Department has continued working with seniors throughout the college search process and will begin initiating conversations with juniors in January.

“We try to be as available as possible,” said Moody.