City Schools Score Well on Standardized Testing

By Teresa Rochester

Santa Monica and Malibu schools have made steady progress since mandatory statewide academic testing began three years ago, according to the preliminary results of the Stanford 9 test released late last week.

The results of the much ballyhooed and criticized test, compares student scores at the same grade level in a national sample, and shows the greatest improvement has been in math, particularly in grades two, three and nine, all of which have been subject to mandatory class size reduction.

Reading scores have also improved, although not as dramatically, with the greatest gains over last year's scores occurring in the second and eleventh grade.

While pleased with the progress, which shows most grade levels performing in the 60th and 70th percentile range, district officials were quick to point out that the test score only tells part of the story of student achievement.

Sue Gee, assistant superintendent of educational services, told Board of Education members at their meeting last Thursday that the scores offer only a "snapshot" of student achievement.

"While our initial review of the standardized test score shows positive growth, it is important to note that the district has developed a comprehensive system of determining student grade level achievement," Gee said in a written statement.

The comprehensive system used to measure student performance includes district administered tests in both math and reading and teacher year-end grades.

"We believe it is important for students to be measured in many ways, as this gives a clearer picture of individual student achievement than does the standardized test scores alone," said Gee.

Overall, the lowest scoring grade level was the 10th grade with 909 students tested, which earned a national percentile score of 47 (the lowest grade level score in the district) in reading and 61 in math. The average score is 50 and an average grade-level range is 40 to 60, according to a district statement.

The biggest gains over last year's test scores occurred in the second grade. That grade level, in which 787 students were tested, received a national percentile score of 72 in reading - a seven point improvement from last year - and a score of 79 in math, a ten point jump over last year's score.

Gee cautioned that the results released last week are preliminary and that the district will release more details in the coming months as staff reviews the data. Student results will be sent home in mid-July and school results will be posted on the State Department of California's Web site http://www.cde.ca.gov/ on July 17.