SAT scores for both Floyd County and Rome City schools were released Monday, Sept. 24, by the College Board and both systems found their overall numbers above the state and national averages, system officials said.

Floyd County Schools’ system score was 1514, increasing four points from last year’s 1510. Rome City Schools’ composite score fell by 17 points to 1508 from 1525, said Superintendent Gayland Cooper.

The state’s average score was 1452, and the national average was 1498.

Rome High School’s results were 503 in verbal, 511 in math and 494 in writing, said Cooper.

Tim Hensley, assistant to Floyd County Schools Superintendent Lynn Plunkett, said Floyd County students achieved a verbal score of 512, a math score of 514 and a writing score of 488.

Armuchee High School recorded the highest score in the Floyd County system with a 1536, broken down into 527 in verbal, 513 in math and 496 in writing.

Coosa students had a total score of 1532 with 516 verbal, 517 math and 499 writing; Pepperell High students had 1506 total score with 510 verbal, 512 math and 484 writing; and Model students totaled 1476 with 489 verbal, 513 math and 474 writing.

Both local school systems have made a number of academic enhancements in an attempt to better prepare students for the SAT.

Hensley said Floyd County Schools increased the number of advanced academic courses available to students, provided SAT prep classes, started the Honors College Prep advanced academic program as well as the state’s first electronic classroom.

“Studies show that increases on these tests are the result of an increase in rigor offered and taken by students,” said Plunkett. “Our advances in curriculum available in our schools and the dedication our students are exhibiting in taking and working hard in the more difficult classes are certainly showing in these SAT scores.”

Cooper said he was pleased with the scores of Rome High School students and noted that while the numbers were down from last year, more students took the test this past time. There were 140 students who tested for the 2012 results as opposed to the previous year’s number of 118 test takers.

Cooper said the introduction of the Common Core Curriculum will likely yield even higher test results in the coming years, as all high school students will take college preparatory-based classes.

As the situation stands now, current juniors and seniors are still learning under the previous system which gives students a choice between tech prep, college prep and a dual seal incorporating both. Therefore, he said, some juniors from last year might have been learning under the tech prep curriculum and decided they wanted to take the SAT, and those students were at a slight academic disadvantage.

“All kids in high school are taking a more rigorous curriculum,” he said, adding that now that the bar is being raised, the scores will too in future years. “Now, there will be more opportunities for core courses to better prepare students.”