The College Board, which tracks five-year SAT trends, said South Carolina's 38-point improvement to 989 was the nation's best over that time. The national average, 1026, has risen only nine points over the same period, according to the state Education Department.

State Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum called the gains "outstanding."

"To raise our scores so significantly in such a short period of time is a tribute to the hard work of our students, teachers and parents," she said. "We still have work to do, but our progress has been steady and substantial."

The College Board, which administers the SAT, doesn't recommend ranking states based on scores, since the percentage of students taking the test varies widely. South Carolina is one of 23 states, plus Washington, D.C., in which more than half of high school seniors took the test. In other states, more students take the ACT, said Mary Anne Byrd, state Education Department spokeswoman.

Still, it was 2002's seven-point gain that lifted the state out of its lowest-ranking status nationally based on scores, handing the 50th spot to Georgia.

"There are a lot of students, parents and teachers out there on the front lines that are working harder than ever who deserve a lot of credit for this improvement," Gov. Mark Sanford said in a statement.

While the state is taking steps in the right direction, Sanford said there's still a long way to go.

"We still have a system that at the end of the day holds us back as a state from reaching our full potential," he said, adding changes begin with a fundamental reform of state education funding, structural reform at the Cabinet level to increase accountability and providing parents with more educational choices.

Locally, 11 of Charleston County's 14 high schools saw SAT scores improve. Students averaged a 16-point increase in the county's composite score, from 950 in 2002 to 966 in 2003, the district's best score in 11 years.

A total of 61 percent of high school seniors countywide took the SAT, with nearly 27 percent of them scoring 1100 or higher, qualifying them for the LIFE scholarship. Other qualifiers include class rank and a "B" grade point average.

"Over time, we are making significant improvements," said Marian Mentavlos, interim deputy superintendent for Charleston County schools.

The average SAT score for the two high schools in Dorchester District 2 jumped 37 points, to 1046. That's 57 points above the state average, 20 points above the nation's.

"We're doing some celebrating in our district," said spokeswoman Pat Raynor.

She attributed the district's successes to early student counseling.

"The minute they come into school as a ninth grader, they're given a lot of mentoring help and advised in course selection," Raynor said. "We steer students toward a rigorous curriculum, which goes hand in hand with good scores, I think."

The SAT scores for seniors at Woodland High School, in Dorchester District 4, rose 30 points to 866 -- still 123 points below the state average and 160 points below the nation's.

Superintendent Mary Rice-Crenshaw said the increase was due to several after-school SAT workshops and an SAT preparation class. "We've seen an increase in students signing up for the class."

To improve scores even more, the district plans to hold more workshops and hopes to persuade more students to take the SAT class, she said.

Over a five-year period, Berkeley County School District's scores rose 58 points, with this year's gains totaling five points.

"It has been a continual increase," spokeswoman Pam Bailey said. Being able to translate the test to students through the necessary programs and school personnel leads to good SAT scores, Bailey said. The county has six high schools.

Six schools in the three-county area scored higher than 1026, the national average, including: Wando High School, 1036; Academic Magnet High School, 1208; Charleston School of the Arts, 1082; Goose Creek High, 1050; Summerville High, 1055; and Fort Dorchester High, 1028.

"We're very excited about being above the national average," said John Fulmer, principal at Goose Creek High, adding that sustaining the gain next year is possible.

Another highlight for Charleston County schools is Lincoln High. Although its average score remained well below the state average, Lincoln increased its mark by 151 points to 890, the greatest gain statewide.

Although schools in Berkeley and Charleston counties have seen overall gains, not all the schools' scores reflect the countywide success.

In Berkeley County, Cross, Stratford and Timberland high schools saw their combined scores drop this year by 47, 21 and 5 points, respectively.

"We want better for those students," said Bailey, adding that Goose Creek's success is a highlight, while Cross High's low scores show the need for improvement. "What we want to have are more peaks and fewer valleys."

In Charleston County, James Island High School, now James Island Charter High, decreased by 16 points in its score, from 997 points in 2002 to 981 points in 2003. Burke High School's composite score of 735 reflects a 75-point drop from 810 in 2002.

"I doubt that the district is where it wants to be," Mentavlos said. "We're heading in the right direction, and I think that's very significant."

Statewide, black students' average score rose eight points to 847, and white students increased their average score five points to 1039.

The achievement gap between black and white students in Charleston County reflects a composite of 825 for black students versus 1054 for white students. The score for black students increased from 806 last year, while it dropped three points from 1057 for white students.

The achievement gap is most noted in Burke High School, which is majority black and has seen its second year of a decline in scores.

"Fixing those schools just hadn't gotten important enough yet," said Jonathan Butzon, executive director of The Charleston Education Network, a watchdog education organization. "What's needed in those schools is wholesale overhaul."

He said more money needs to be spent in those schools.

Although state officials hope scores will increase each year, Byrd says there's no target date for when the state and national averages will match.

"We've made tremendous improvement," Byrd said. "This was not at all a fluke. In years past, when there wasn't a statewide initiative, the growth was sporadic. But this is upward growth."

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