By David Fleet
Editor
Goodrich High School juniors remain in the top tier of Genesee County High Schools according to the results of the SAT scores release last week.
The 189 Goodrich student joined more than 1.8 million high school students nationwide to completed the SAT or the Scholastic Assessment Test which serves as a college entrance exam as well as a state English language arts and math assessment. The SAT tests skills learned in high school that students are likely to need in college and beyond. In 2015 the SAT was revamped to also include a written essay among other changes.
Goodrich High School students along with other Michigan juniors where given the three hour SAT test last April.
According to the Michigan Department of Education the average SAT score statewide dropped to 985 from 1,000.1 in 2018, according to the Michigan Department of Education. The average score on the English language arts test was 496 and 489 on the math test.
The total scores on the SAT range from a low of 400 to a high of 1,600. Scores on the math and English tests range from 200 to 800.
Mike Baszler is the Goodrich High School principal.
“I am extremely proud of the collective efforts and high academic performance of our students,” said Baszler. “To continuously be ranked in the top of our county and in Michigan is a testament to our K-12 school community, our students are well prepared for the SAT and it shows. We will continue to refine and address challenge areas to help best prepare our students. One particular area I am excited about is the amount of students who demonstrated growth from one year to the next in both ELA and Math. These gains are evidence that we addressing the proper areas in the classroom.”

Marala Karas, Goodrich district director of curriculum and school improvement said that once again the district is pleased to be in the top ranking in Genesee County.
“We are noticing some positive trends as grade level cohort data is tracked over time to look for student growth as students progress through Goodrich Area Schools,” said Karas. “We continue to look for strengths and challenges that the data represents and make adjustments in our instruction and pacing as needed. This year we will be providing the PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) for all of our 11th grade students in October.”
“This will provide an opportunity for students to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program and will also provide valuable individualized data for students to identify areas of focus before taking the State spring SAT assessment,” she said.
Patricia Young has been the associate director of admissions at Central Michigan University, located in Mt. Pleasant since 2012. She says while standardized test scores, like the SAT are important several other factors are also key for admission the CMU. About 2,800 students were enrolled at CMU each year out of about 16,000 applications received from freshman during the 2018-19 school year. The average SAT combined student score was about 1,100 of those enrolled.
“Yes the SAT is required for admissions,” said Young. “However the student’s GPA carries more weight for admission.. The test is important, but the GPA is a better reflection of the students success at the college level. Here at CMU we look at the academic rigor and if that student was consistent during the high school years. There are ups and downs in academics are common, but students need to show continued improvement each year and avoid ‘senioritius.’ It’s common.”
Such factors as dual enrollment and showcasing academic abilities are important for student’s applying, she said.
“We seek student who apply themselves in school, their leadership and involvement,” she said. “While the SAT is important, keep in mind the average college student takes it more than once.”
Students are welcome to apply to CMU via the online application or Common App.