Lake Washington School District (LWSD) seniors from the class of 2012 scored, on average, nine points higher on the SAT math test than students from previous years while scoring two to three points lower on the reading and writing tests.

District students continue to score well above state and national averages. Washington state and national scores were also lower in reading and writing. State scores gained an average of one point in math while the national average stayed the same.

“The focus on improving math scores in many of our schools is having an effect,” said LWSD Superintendent Dr. Traci Pierce. “Strong math scores will ensure that students are ready for postsecondary work.”

The total number of SAT test-takers in Lake Washington rose slightly from 1,205 in 2010 to 1,212 in 2011. That is the highest total in the last five years.

Average critical reading scores in Lake Washington fell two points, from 562 to 560. Reading scores across the state of Washington fell from 523 last year to 519 this year. Nationally, reading scores fell as well, from 497 on average to 496.

LWSD math scores made a significant jump after two years of staying relatively flat. Lake Washington students averaged 581 this year, compared to 572 last year and 563 in 2007. State math scores averaged 530 this year, up from 529 last year. National scores remained 514 on average.

LWSD writing scores fell for the first time since the writing test was added in 2006 from 557 on average to 554. They remain considerably higher than Washington scores, which also fell, from 508 on average to 503. National scores declined from 489 to 488.

Washington students’ combined average score on the SAT (1,545) is the highest in the nation — tied with Vermont — among states in which at least 45 percent of the eligible students took the test, according to figures released by the College Board.

Washington again had the nation’s highest score in math (528), was tied for second in writing (500) and was third in reading (517) among states with a participation rate of 45 percent or more. The ranking is based on students taking the SAT who were 12th-graders in the Class of 2012.

“Students who take the SAT have their eye on attending college,” State Superintendent Randy Dorn said. “To have that many high-school students do that well on the test says a lot about the preparation they’re getting in school.”