Administrators and teachers from the Cherokee County School District continue to find new ways to ensure all students are prepared for college entrance and placement exams after the district earned the No. 1 ranking in Georgia for the highest total average SAT scores.

This school year, Cherokee High School began using Princeton Review curriculum for prep sessions during after school hours and on Saturdays.

Cherokee High School Principal Debra Murdock said teachers trained in the Princeton Review method this summer. The program wallows the school to offer the program for only the cost of materials, “which is a fraction of the cost of the total program,” Murdock said.

Cherokee students who complete the 16-hour Princeton Review program will also receive half the cost of his or her ACT or SAT fee refunded to him or her Canton-based by Factorymation, an industrial control products manufacturing company.

Cherokee also takes a new media approach in sharing test information by tweeting out the “SAT Question of the Day” to followers of the school’s Twitter news feed.

“The CHS counseling department and our teaching staff have worked to help each student realize the best testing plan,” Murdock said. “We hope to continue to build upon the momentum of great SAT and ACT scores for our students.”

At Sequoyah High School, teachers for the last two years have concentrated on increasing the opportunities students have to work on SAT verbal and math skills within all academic classes.

For example, English, science and social studies teachers give out SAT practice questions and in math classes, an “SAT Question of the Day” is part of the class routine and students also complete SAT practice essays in English classes.

Sequoyah now offers more SAT prep classes after school and on Saturdays, with even more held during the weeks leading up to SAT administrations, especially those held at the school.

A new initiative Sequoyah will soon provide for students is “SAT Lunch,” which will offer lunchtime prep class several times a month.

Participating students, mostly in the junior class, will spend a portion of their lunch period working with an English or math teacher on SAT practice questions. The target audience is the junior class, as many of its students will take the SAT for the first time in the spring.

Creekview High School also offers SAT tutoring that students can attend for a minimal charge through the support of its PTSA.

Etowah High School Principal Keith Ball said SAT success is a school-wide goal as part of its School Improvement Plan, “so everyone has ownership.”

Etowah’s goal is posted in every classroom on campus and seen through the use of school-wide SAT practice questions and school-sponsored PSAT exams for freshmen.

“The Etowah learning community has a strong history of valuing academic commitment and success,” Ball said. “This year’s SAT scores echo that value, but are more impressive in light of the challenges our students, parents, and teachers are facing. I am proud of the students’ perseverance and steadfast commitment to excellence.”