Eighth-Graders Stumble in Skill Tests

State education scores for eighth-graders dropped sharply this year in reading and writing, persuading school officials that they need to turn more attention to the junior high schools.

Elementary school children, both statewide and in the Los Angeles school district, again scored higher in reading, writing and mathematics this year, according to the annual California Assessment Program test results released Friday. For more than a decade, third-graders throughout the state have steadily improved in basic skills.

Meanwhile, test scores have also turned strongly upward for high school seniors.

But the eighth-grade class is the exception to all the good news.

Statewide scores for eighth-graders inched up 1 point in math but declined 10 points in reading and 4 in writing. In Los Angeles, eighth-grade scores dropped in all three subjects.

State Supt. of Public Instruction Bill Honig said the junior high scores are “disquieting.”

“We’ve got some major work to do in the middle schools and junior highs. They’ve been a neglected areas in the whole reform movement,” Honig told a state Board of Education meeting in Sacramento.

In the early 1970s, the schools were urged to work harder on teaching basic skills in the early grades. Ever since, scores on a variety of elementary tests have been rising.

Upon taking office in 1983, Honig turned his attention to high schools, and the Legislature required students to take more academic courses. Since then, scores on both the state exams and the Scholastic Aptitude Test have jumped.

However, the traditional remedies--more homework and less television--did not stop the slide at the eighth grade.

About two-thirds of the eighth-graders in 1985 said they did one hour or more of homework per night, up from 42% last year. Meanwhile, 45% said they watched three hours or more of television per night, a 2% drop from last year.

Honig noted, however, that the scores are closely linked to homework and television. Students who did more homework scored higher, while those who watched more television scored lower.

“Homework isn’t the only answer. But everything else being equal, the kids doing the most homework also have the highest scores,” Honig said. “Watching more than two hours of TV a night seems to make a difference. The scores go down substantially for the kids who are watching more than that.”

Like Honig, Los Angeles Schools Supt. Harry Handler said he was at a loss to explain the score declines in the eighth grade.

“I’m obviously very pleased about the continuing growth in the third and sixth grades but am very concerned about the junior high declines. They look to be big losses,” Handler said. “But I’m waiting see an analysis of the specific (areas) where we went down.”

Students in the third, sixth and eighth grades take the California Assessment Program test each spring. The exams are scored on a scale ranging from 100 to 400.

The results released Friday include state and district averages for students who took the exams last spring. State officials said they will not make public individual school scores for at least two more weeks.

High school seniors take the tests in December, and their scores are generally reported in May.

SCHOOL TEST SCORES

These latest results of the California Assessment Program--a state basic skills test taken each spring--show comparative performance of students statewide and in Los Angeles.

CALIFORNIA AVERAGES

1983 1984 1985 3RD GRADE Reading 263 268 274 Writing 266 272 279 Mathematics 267 274 278 6TH GRADE Reading 253 249 253 Writing 259 260 265 Mathematics 260 261 264 8TH GRADE Reading 250 240 Writing 250 246 Mathematics 250 251 Social Studies 250

LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

1983 1984 1985 3RD GRADE Reading 222 229 233 Writing 238 236 242 Mathematics 233 242 243 6TH GRADE Reading 220 219 221 Writing 228 232 233 Mathematics 231 235 236 8TH GRADE Reading 207 199 Writing 210 203 Mathematics 211 209 Social Studies 206

() 8th grade testing began in 1984. () Social Studies test was added in 1985.