North Shore schools top Long Island rankings in average SAT scores

Janelle Clausen
Great Neck North High School is seen on a warmer fall day. (Photo by Janelle Clausen)
Great Neck North High School is seen on a warmer fall day. (Photo by Janelle Clausen)

Most of the top 15 school districts ranked by 2016 SAT scores on Long Island are once again North Shore schools, according to state data reported by Patch, with some schools changing spots but retaining scores above state averages.

Jericho once again topped the list with an average score of 1887. Manhasset, which was not on Patch’s list last year, had an average score of 1802, while Roslyn Public Schools dropped a rank to third this year, seeing a 25-point dip in SAT score averages. Roslyn tied the Great Neck school district at 1795.

Stephen Lando, assistant superintendent for secondary education in Great Neck, attributed the students’ success to three things: commitment from parents, students and the community, the strong emphasis on teachers, and individual preparation.

“I think it reflects a consistent and long-standing commitment to excellent instruction and learning on the part of parents, students, teachers and administration,” Lando said. “Our community values an excellent education.”

Cold Spring Harbor Central School District in Huntington ranked fifth with 1778 points, while the East Williston school district was sixth with 1771 points. The Syosset Central School District also had 1771 points.

The Herricks school district ranked fourth in 2015 with 1767 points, but dropped 45 points to 1722 points and eighth place this year.

Port Washington ranked 10th last year with 1700 points. An eight-point drop to 1692 this year gave it the 12th-highest average SAT score.

“SAT performance is one of several indicators used to measure student success. Our exact ranking among Long Island schools may tend to vary from year to year yet we remain among the higher performing districts,” said Kathleen Mooney, the Port Washington schools superintendent. “Our students are recognized throughout the year for their outstanding accomplishments in academics, athletics, the arts and service.”

North Shore Central was 14th with a 1672 average.

All of these scores are well above state norms. According to a report from College Board, a nonprofit organization that administers the SAT, the average score in New York in 2016 was 1467.

Garden City and Plainview-Old Bethpage, both close to the North Shore, ranked ninth and 11th. The other two schools in the top 15 were the Fishers Island school district, the Three Villages school district in Port Jefferson and Harborfields in Huntington.

Share this Article