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"We are really pleased with the fact that both verbal and math went up while we increased the number of test-takers," said Jim Hulse, director of testing and evaluation for the school district.

Brevard's average math score was 521 out of 800, one point better than the national average; on the verbal section, Brevard seniors scored 517 compared with 508 nationally.

Many colleges require the SAT as one factor in the admissions process, along with high school transcripts, extracurricular activities and other criteria.

The scores reported reflect tests taken before the introduction of a new writing section on the SAT, when the top score was 1,600.

Though the demographics of test takers vary across school districts and states, Hulse said the scores do provide a valuable benchmark.

"It's one of the few measures we have that actually does go across the nation, but with big differences in the population tested," he said, adding that year-to-year comparisons are not as meaningful as long-term trends.

The results from the College Board, which administers the test, came to the district late and do not yet include breakouts of performance by race and gender.

"Kids recognize how important this is, especially because of Bright Futures scholarships," said Terri Kulaga, assistant principal for curriculum at Rockledge High.

West Shore Jr./Sr. High in Melbourne, a school of choice, recorded big gains to lead the district with an overall score of 1,185, up 41 points from last year.

Bayside High in Palm Bay went the opposite direction, dropping 48 points to earn the district's lowest average, 956.

Satellite High led the district in the number of seniors taking the test, with 356, compared to 63 at Cocoa High.

Brevard's scores easily surpassed state averages that have remained flat for 10 years. The College Board attributes the state trend to a surge in the number of Florida students taking the test, which has increased 85 percent in the last decade.

The number of Florida test takers last year increased 7 percent last year, to 93,505, and about 2 percent in Brevard, to 2,560 seniors -- about 60 percent of those eligible. Nationally, nearly 1.5 million students in the class of 2005 took the test.

Students typically take the test in the spring of their junior year, but many take it again as seniors. Many also take the ACT, another entrance exam preferred by some colleges.

Stephanie Teresi, a junior at Rockledge High, said she's already taken the SAT three times and plans to take it again in the spring, since her scores have increased each time.

"I think colleges look at it way more than they say they do, because standardized testing is a really big deal," she said.

Hulse said the SAT results in part reflect efforts by district guidance counselors to steer more students toward more challenging classes.