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Prince George's County seniors taking the college entrance exam SAT improved slightly over last year's test-takers, though they still lag nearly 200 points behind the state average, according to results released by the county schools Wednesday.

Prince George's students scored an average of 1,283 out of a possible 2,400 on the exam. The statewide average is 1,480.

In 2007, Prince George's students scored an average of 1,281.

The SAT, the most widely taken college admissions exam, is designed to be a predictor of college success. The three-hour and 45-minute exam consists of critical reading, math and writing sections. Each section has a possible score of 800.

"The increasing number of students participating in college-level coursework and the rigorous testing programs indicates high school students recognize the importance of graduating college-ready," Superintendent John E. Deasy said in a statement Wednesday.

The school system reported that 4,796 Prince George's students took the SAT. In 2007, 5,038 students took the exam, and in 2006, 4,473 students took the SAT.

The school system also reported a sharp increase in the number of students taking Advanced Placement courses – 4,747 students took AP courses in 2008, compared to 3,200 taking the courses in the 2007 school year. Designed to mirror college-level work, AP courses correspond to an exam which, if passed, many colleges and universities will award credit for that course without taking the class in college.

Last school year was the first for the school system's "AP8" initiative, which provided funding for at least eight AP courses in each county high school.

One of the high schools that most dramatically increased its participation in AP exams was Crossland High School in Temple Hills, which went from164 AP exams taken in 2007 to 433 in 2008.

"I think that the only way to do that is to change the culture of your school. You have to change the expectations not only of the students, but also of the teachers and the parents and the community," said Crossland principal Charles Thomas.

Thomas said once the school's culture is focused on academic excellence, "then it is much easier to make the case to a student and to the parents that they need to take these courses in order to be prepared for what comes after high school."

Thomas said the school has seen more than a 1000 percent increase in the numbers of students at the school taking at least one AP course – going from 60 students in 2004 to 730 students this school year. This school year, Crossland has 13 AP courses.

"The whole purpose of this push is that we have to increase the rigor of instruction in our classes and we feel that the best way we can do that is to expose our kids to college level courses," Thomas said.

E-mail Megan King at mking@gazette.net.