Watertown High School SAT scores are below state, last year's averages

By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

Watertown High School students' average 2012 SAT scores are below state averages in all three tested categories, according to data released Monday.

The 2012 Watertown scores were also lower than the previous year's Watertown average scores in all three categories.

The 137 Watertown students who took the SATs this year achieved scores of 487 in critical reading, 513 in math, and 484 in writing.

The statewide average, however, is 506 for reading, 523 for math, and 500 for writing.

Last year, the 131 students who took the national test achieved average scores of 492 in reading, 534 in math, and 491 in writing.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said in a prepared statement that Massachusetts public high school students have made a 12-point gain in math over the past decade, and that overall student participation in the test has increased.

Statewide averages gained two points in math and one point in reading scores over last year. The statewide writing averages stayed the same.

About 84 percent of Massachusetts public school students in the class of 2012 took the SAT in high school, and Massachusetts students had the top score in math among the 17 states where at least 60 percent of students participated in the SAT, according to the department.

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Jaclyn Reiss can be reached at jaclyn.reiss@globe.com