CAMDEN — The first group of sophomores and juniors have taken the new redesigned PSAT from the CollegeBoard and the results are in and Watershed students exceeded the national average by a significant amount.

"I was confident that our students would do well on the new test," said Mary Smyth, Watershed math teacher and testing adviser, in a news release. "The new PSAT rewards students who can provide evidence for their statements, can write persuasively, and who are used to reading historical sources with persistence and attention to detail."

Every student at Watershed met the benchmark for college preparedness in reading and writing. On the new Common Core-based math section, 75 percent of Watershed students passed the college readiness hurdle. "The new math expectations are advanced by roughly a year of content compared to the old standards," said Mary Smyth. "We are moving to respond to that change with our curriculum."

In the local school district 63 percent of juniors met both benchmarks. In Maine 60 percent of juniors were on track and in the nation only 48 percent of high school juniors are ready for college academics.

Locally 68 percent of sophomores met both standards. In Maine 66 percent did, and in the nation 47 percent of sophomores can meet both math and reading and writing goals for college admission.

"We are producing students who are ready for studying at the next level, and we are doing so at a higher rate than the national, state and local averages, Smyth said.

Watershed School is an independent high school located in Camden. Watershed is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is a Maine State Approved school.

For further information, please visit our website at watershed-school.org