Glendale’s Seniors Do Well on Test

High school seniors in Glendale scored above the state average in most categories on a new state testing scheme, with Crescenta Valley 12th-graders topping their counterparts at the city’s two other high schools, according to figures released this week.

The results are part of the massive Performance Report for California Schools, which was mandated in 1983 to determine how state schools compare with one another and to set academic goals.

The program takes into consideration such indicators as how students fared on standardized tests, how they performed in their first year of college and what is required for high school graduation. It eventually will gauge such factors as dropout rates and extracurricular activities.

Fewer Core Classes

The results, released Tuesday, show that seniors at Glendale high schools during the 1983-84 school year scored slightly above the state average on standardized tests but do not take as many core academic classes as proposed by the landmark 1983 educational reform law that provided money to bolster public schools.

High school seniors in the La Canada Unified School district scored far above the state average in nearly every category of the program, which has drawn some criticism. In the Los Angeles areas of Silver Lake, Echo Park and Eagle Rock, seniors registered below the state average in most categories.

Critics contend that the report is too academic and does not take into consideration students’ vocational interests. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Bill Honig maintains that it is the best way to improve education.

CAP Scores

On the Scholastic Aptitude Test, which is a major factor in college admission, the state average was 897 out of a possible 1,600 points. Seniors at Crescenta Valley High School scored an average of 933, with students at Hoover High and Glendale High scoring slightly below the state average at 895 and 893 respectively.

On the California Assessment Program test, Glendale seniors overall scored above average, placing in the 55th percentile in verbal skills and the 83rd percentile in math. Only one group of seniors scored below average in either category; at Hoover High, where there are many foreign-born students, seniors scored in the 37th percentile in verbal skills.

Seniors at La Canada High School averaged 939 on the SAT and were above the 96th percentile on the CAP.

On the Advanced Placement test, another criterion for college admission, Crescenta Valley seniors scored well above the state average, but Glendale and Hoover highs scored below the average.

The AP test is measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 3 considered a passing grade. Statewide, 9.5% of the students who took the test received a score of 3 or higher. At Crescenta Valley High, 13.2% of the students who took the test received a 3 or higher; at Hoover and Glendale, the figures were 8.5 and 5.5 respectively.

Freshman College Grades

However, on another measure of the report, students from the three Glendale high schools who were admitted to state colleges and universities received better grades than the average student during their first year of school, according to test results.

AP test results and freshman college grades for students from La Canada High School will be released in May.

The state education bill also contained tough state proposals for high-school graduation requirements. For example, state legislators urged that all students take four years of English and history and three years of math, science and foreign language.

The average Glendale and La Canada Flintridge high school senior during the 1983-84 school year did not meet those standards, although graduation requirements in those districts, as well as most districts in the state, are not as stringent.

The report was gloomy on high school seniors in Eagle Rock, Echo Park and Silver Lake.

Below State Average

SAT and CAP scores were far below the state average at Marshall, Franklin and Eagle Rock high schools. For example, the average SAT score for Eagle Rock seniors was 869, 28 points below the average, and scores at Franklin and Marshall were 772 and 837 respectively.

However, graduates of Franklin and Marshall who were admitted to state colleges and universities received slightly better grades during their first year of college than other freshmen. Students graduating from Eagle Rock High School fared considerably worse than their counterparts in college.

When completed, the report will include 12 categories and will suggest goals for each district in the state. Other test results will be released in May.

A High School Report Card The state’s review of schools in Glendale

TEST RESULTS COURSE SAT SAT Advanced High School Verbal Math Placement Math English Science State Average 421 476 9.5 67 73 33 GLENDALE UNIFIED DISTRICT Crescenta Valley 432 501 13.2 60 69 20 Glendale 394 499 5.5 54 55 26 Hoover 399 496 8.5 65 78 33 LA CANADA UNIFIED DISTRICT La Canada 457 482 35.0 83 92 43

ENROLLMENTS History/ Social Foreign Fine High School Science Language Arts State Average 52 22 65 GLENDALE UNIFIED DISTRICT Crescenta Valley 19 18 95 Glendale 11 28 95 Hoover 35 38 90 LA CANADA UNIFIED DISTRICT La Canada 80 54 63

SAT VERBAL: Average score among students taking the Scholastic Achievement Test college entrance examination. Results range from 200 to 800. SAT MATH: Average score among students taking the Scholastic Achievement Test college entrance examination. Results range from 200 to 800. ADVANCED PLACEMENT: Percentage of students who passed Advanced Placement examinations this year with a score of 3 or above. COURSE ENROLLMENTS: Percentage of students enrolled in classes in particular subject areas: math for three years, English for four years, science for three years, social science for four years, foreign language for three years, fine arts for one year.