MARIETTA - Only three Cobb high schools saw their 2009 average SAT scores decline from the year before, according to data released by the College Board on Tuesday.

Kell High School's overall score saw the largest point drop, 37 points, from 1537 to 1500. Sprayberry High School's average fell 22 points, from 1481 to 1459. Both schools are in the northeast section of the county.

At McEachern High School, the average dropped below 1400. That school saw a 27-point decline, from 1413 to 1386. Peggie Constantino was principal of the Powder Springs school before taking over as head of special education in the district's central office this summer.

Cobb's average across the district increased by 11 points, to 1534. That's well ahead of the state average, 1460, and the national average, 1509. Marietta's lone high school raised its score by 54 points, to 1514.

In a ranking of Cobb scores by school, Walton High School, in east Cobb, held firm to the top spot, with an average of 1722, up 10 points from the year before.

Wheeler High School, a math, science and technology magnet school that is also in east Cobb, saw a 66 point jump to an average of 1640.

David Chiprany, who just took over as principal there, attributed Wheeler's success to a focus on writing.

"We focus on writing in all disciplines, every subject area. We teach students to think critically and organize and express their thoughts," Chiprany said.

The school also has Advanced Placement certification, denoting an emphasis on getting more teens in more rigorous classes. Wheeler has 2,060 students enrolled this year, up from 1,850 last year.

Osborne High School remained last on the ranking, but even that school's principal, Steven Miletto, has cause to celebrate. That's because Osborne's average score jumped 48 points, to 1285.

Eighty-five percent of students at Osborne qualify for free or reduced-price lunches as a result of low household income.

Miletto, whose dynamic leadership has earned him the title of state high school principal of the year and in the finals for the national title, said Project 2400, a Cobb Chamber of Commerce program to assist in test-prep, had helped more of his students this year. The school also offers SAT Prep as an elective course.

Teachers at his south Cobb school stress vocabulary, vocabulary, vocabulary to students.

"One thing that's an issue with kids in poverty is that they're often several years behind their peers (at other schools) in vocabulary," Miletto said. He also has reached a deal with the Kaplan test-prep company to provide more evening tutoring for his students.

And the efforts of everyone there are paying off, he said.

"We see more kids now wanting to come back to their alma mater to talk about how this has paid off for them," Miletto said. "They're proud of having gone to Osborne. And we are very proud of them."