North Atlanta Lauds SAT Scores

Principal Mark MyGrant is pleased with the school’s performance on 2011 SAT scores, released this week.

With 37 more students taking the college-entrance test, North Atlanta showed a composite score of 1,439, matching the school’s 2010 performance. In 2011 results, North Atlanta had a mean score of 488 points in critical reading, up three; 476 in math, the same; and 475 in writing, down three.

The results reflect North Atlanta’s steady improvement on the test.

“For the last three or four years, while the state and the national mean has gone down, we have been able to sustain growth,” MyGrant said. “From 2007 to 2011, we have increased in reading 22 points, in math, 17 points, and in writing 22 points. We had a nice jump last year and we were able to sustain it this year.”

MyGrant, in his fifth year as North Atlanta’s principal after a successful stint at Sutton Middle School, cites that stability for the improvement in scores. Before MyGrant arrived at the school, the average stay for a principal was 1.5 years, beginning in 1993. “You can imagine being able to have some consistency with our faculty and particularly my administrative team,” he said.

He also cited expansion of the school’s pioneer International Baccalaureate program. “We have also the increased the International Baccalaureate offerings and opportunities for all the kids across all of our learning communities. This brings with it rigor and different approaches to teaching.”

He expressed satisfaction that the school’s performance is now ahead of the Georgia mean of 1,431 for public schools and closing in on the national figure of 1,483.

The SAT scores are especially significant as compared with state tests, he said, because the SAT is “The biggest predictor for college success and gives us some idea of how our kids compare across the nation.”

Looking ahead, MyGrant said he’s excited to be working with the Cooper Carry architectural firm on renovating the IBM property on Northside Parkway for the school’s new campus. He said the new campus will open in August 2013.

"As we increase our performance on the SAT, we are also going to havea  significantly better and modern campus, a complete campus. That will also further support our holistic program.”