More Affluent Areas : Some High Schools Sink in Test Scores

Reading and math scores dropped this year for seniors at several high schools in Orange County’s more affluent areas, whose students come from homes with better educated parents, according to California Assessment Program test results released Tuesday.

The schools in which 12th-graders’ scores dropped include Costa Mesa, Irvine, San Clemente and Orange high schools.

Other schools where scores were low last year showed notable improvements in the CAP tests given to seniors last fall, such as the Tustin Unified School District and Santa Ana Unified School District. But the school that showed one of the poorest performances last year in the 12th-grade tests--Santiago High School in Garden Grove--dropped even further behind this year.

The Long View

But many educators cautioned Tuesday that it takes several years for a reliable trend to emerge from such assessment tests.

“Testing is a complex thing,” said Dorothy Crutcher, director of testing and guidance services for the Huntington Beach Union High School District, where Huntington Beach High seniors scored 20 points higher in reading and 13 points higher in math over the results of last year. “With tests, you have to look at 3 years. That would indicate a trend. One year--that is just isolation. Two years gives us some clues.”

Educators in school districts where scores declined this year offered a variety of reasons, such as an increase in immigrant populations, changes in the tests in the last 2 years, and a lack of interest among students since they are told only schoolwide scores, not individual results.

The CAP test for seniors was revised last year, making the reading and mathematics exams more difficult. Math questions now demand more logic and thinking than just performing the simple calculations of the past, educators said. A writing test also was given at the same time as the reading and mathematics tests, but those results will not be released for a few more weeks, state education officials said Tuesday.

The tests are graded on a scale of 100 to 400, then the results for each school in the state are ranked from a low of 1 to a high of 99.

At Irvine High, reading scores dropped from 290 to 241 this year, lowering the school’s statewide ranking 35 points from the 80th percentile last year to the 45th percentile this year. The percentile ranking means that Irvine High students did better than 45% of other 12th-graders in the state. The school’s math scores declined from 293 to 284, or from the 85th percentile to the 73rd.

“It’s one snapshot in time,” said Deputy Supt. Bruce Givner, who is in charge of support services for Irvine Unified. “It’s only one indicator and it’s only 1 year.”

“What you need to do is take a 3- to 4-year pattern,” Givner said.

Irvine Scores Lower

University High School in Irvine also posted a decline in reading scores from 330 last year to 303 this year, a drop from the 96th percentile to the 88th percentile. In math, the actual score went up, from 335 to 344, but the school’s statewide ranking declined from 97th to 96th.

“I don’t panic over it,” Givner said. “None whatsoever.”

But University High Principal Robert Bruce said his staff would examine the causes of the lower scores. Test records also show that 7.3% of University’s seniors indicated that they had limited proficiency in English.

At Costa Mesa High in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, 12th-graders scored 254 on their reading tests this year, compared with 285 last year. The school’s ranking dropped 22 points to the 55th percentile this year, down from 77 last year.

In mathematics, Costa Mesa High students averaged 282, down from 290 the year before, dropping to the 72nd percentile this year. The school’s seniors were ranked in the 84th percentile last year.

“I don’t think we’ve done anything different this year than last year,” Costa Mesa High Principal Frank Infusino said. “Sometimes, the difference in results lie in the difference in the groups that take the exam.”

Higher LEP Percentage

He pointed out that Costa Mesa has a higher percentage of students this year who indicated on the exam that they were “limited-English-proficient.”

Indeed, results from the state Education Department show that at Costa Mesa High, students who spoke limited English scored an average of 54 on the reading test, compared to 271 for those students who speak only English. Students also were asked to indicate when they first entered district schools and their parents’ education levels.

Infusino said the steep drop in test scores this school year could be due to a variety of other factors besides students who speak limited English. He noted that more students took the tests this year than last. But he also pointed out, as did many other educators, that one year does not indicate a trend.

“One of the things you have to look at is that we have gone up 3 years in a row, and all of a sudden it goes down,” Infusino said. “Well, we haven’t done anything different (in preparing students for the tests).”

At Orange High School, where reading scores declined from 256 to 237, and math scores dropped from 253 to 232, Orange Unified School District Supt. John Ikerd expressed disappointment.

Orange High School dropped below the norm statewide with the latest scores, from 54th percentile in reading to the 42nd, and from 52nd in math to the 31st.

Test Data Indications

Test data shows that 13.9% of Orange High seniors this year indicated that they spoke limited English, but that is down from 17.7% the previous year.

Test results appear to indicate some correlation between the percentage of limited-English-proficient students in a school district and its scores. But that does not explain why a school with increasing numbers of limited-English students would improve from one year to the next, while others with growing ethnic populations posted declining test scores.

At Huntington Beach High, for example, where the limited-English enrollment increased from 3.7% to 7.5% of the student body over the past year, reading scores went up from 243 to 265, and math scores from 247 to 267. That put the school in the 63rd percentile in reading, up from 43rd the year before, and in the 60th percentile in math, up from 47th in 1987-88.

“That was kind of an anomaly last year,” said Crutcher of the Huntington Beach Union High School District. “It’s hard to say why we had this change from last year. Last year, many of our gifted students were away at a conference when the test was taken.”

But while Crutcher contends that it takes more than just 2 years of test results to establish a trend, she noted that educators realize that parents look carefully at all test scores, without putting them into a wider context.

“Too many times, people buy houses with SAT scores in mind,” she said. “My goodness, I answer that question (from parents considering moving into the district) all the time.”

Cites More Emphasis

Tustin Unified School District Supt. Maurice Ross said more emphasis on the CAP tests in that district resulted in higher scores this year. Tustin’s districtwide reading scores increased from 255 to 270, and math scores from 256 to 282.

Ross said that teachers and counselors worked hard to convince seniors of the test’s importance. “We made sure kids understood it was important for the school. They think more in terms of SAT (Scholastic Achievement Tests), of college-bound tests. This (the CAP test), to them, is just one more test, and they don’t even get to see their individual scores.”

Santiago High School in the Garden Grove Unified School District continued its downward spiral in both reading and math tests. The school scored in the 5th percentile in reading, down from 13th the year before, and in the 14th percentile in math, down from 20th.

Santiago Principal Robert O’ Higgins said he and his staff are still studying the test results, but were not overly concerned about the lower scores. “I’m anxious to see the specific breakouts . . . to see if these (scores) hold true,” he said. “It’s easy to react to 1 year’s scores, but it doesn’t seem a true and accurate picture of everything.”

O’Higgins also said that Santiago has one of the highest percentages of students who speak limited English--24.7%.

Santa Ana Scores Up

But the Santa Ana Unified School District, where there also is a high percentage of limited-English students, recorded an improvement in test scores across the board, with one minor exception. At Saddleback High, reading scores went from 216 to 207 this year, a drop in ranking from the 24th to the 21st percentile. But in math, Saddleback improved from 228 to 233, scores that kept it at the 31st percentile statewide.

Overall, the district improved its average test scores from 207 to 208 in reading, moving it from the 17th to the 18th percentile. In math, the scores went from 219 last year to 230 this year, or from the 20th to the 26th percentile.

Times staff writer Carla Rivera contributed to this story.

CALIFORNIA ASSESSMENT PROGRAM TEST SCORES FOR COUNTY 12TH-GRADERS

READING MATH 1988-89 1987-88 1988-89 1987-88 School Score Rank Score Rank Score Rank Score Rank *Anaheim Union Dist. 241 45 251 50 260 54 258 57 Anaheim 194 15 200 15 215 20 218 22 Cypress 249 50 272 68 273 66 288 82 Gilbert 229 35 223 28 207 15 195 11 Katella 239 43 265 61 278 69 270 69 Kennedy 260 60 271 68 276 68 281 77 Loara 272 70 277 71 281 72 273 71 Magnolia 215 27 231 34 242 38 243 44 Savanna 251 53 257 55 272 65 243 44 Western 252 53 232 34 255 50 242 43 *Brea-Olinda Unified 328 97 300 87 306 91 292 88 Brea Canyon 210 23 232 34 203 14 182 7 Brea-Olinda 332 96 305 88 309 88 300 88 *Capistrano Unified 301 91 300 87 292 84 288 86 Capistrano Valley 313 93 303 87 304 86 300 88 Dana Hills 303 88 298 85 292 81 278 74 San Clemente 281 76 297 84 275 67 283 79 *Fullerton Joint 276 72 274 69 282 74 276 75 Buena Park 270 68 266 62 252 46 242 43 Fullerton 252 53 268 64 269 62 267 65 La Habra 238 42 237 38 247 42 257 55 La Vista 177 8 221 27 180 5 187 9 Sonora 284 78 258 55 284 73 267 65 Sunny Hills 312 92 321 93 336 95 332 96 Troy 298 84 290 80 296 83 286 81 *Garden Grove 232 37 238 41 252 49 247 48 Bolsa Grande 214 26 202 16 251 45 236 37 Garden Grove 233 38 267 64 261 53 270 69 Lake 197 16 222 28 163 3 167 4 La Quinta 240 44 239 40 267 60 239 40 Los Amigos 231 36 234 36 258 51 254 53 Pacifica 287 80 284 76 277 68 275 72 Rancho Alamitos 245 49 234 36 251 45 239 40 Santiago 170 5 196 13 203 14 216 20 *Hunt. Beach Union 283 81 275 72 289 80 278 77 Edison 298 84 300 86 292 81 290 84 Fountain Valley 302 87 282 75 312 90 294 85 Huntington Beach 265 63 243 43 267 60 247 47 Marina 301 87 297 84 301 85 297 87 Ocean View 267 65 275 71 291 80 277 73 Westminster 260 60 262 59 268 61 279 74 *Irvine Unified 290 86 305 92 314 94 309 94 Irvine 241 45 290 80 284 73 293 85 University 303 88 330 96 344 96 335 97 Woodbridge 328 95 286 78 314 91 295 86 *Laguna Beach 316 95 301 87 297 89 282 80 Laguna Beach 316 93 301 86 297 83 282 78 Los Alamitos 306 93 289 83 318 95 297 91 Los Alamitos 309 91 291 81 324 93 302 90 *Newport-Mesa 300 90 303 91 311 93 290 87 Corona del Mar 332 96 329 95 331 95 296 86 Costa Mesa 254 55 285 77 282 72 290 84 Estancia 295 83 285 77 314 91 280 76 Newport Harbor 305 90 305 88 308 87 293 85 *Orange Unified 292 88 292 84 290 81 287 85 Canyon 303 88 312 91 315 91 311 92 El Modena 309 91 298 85 296 83 274 72 Orange 237 42 256 54 232 31 253 52 Villa Park 316 93 303 87 314 91 309 91 *Placentia Unified 282 78 286 79 296 89 290 87 El Dorado 307 90 307 89 316 92 301 89 Esperanza 280 76 291 81 286 75 288 82 Valencia 268 66 276 71 300 84 298 87 *Saddleback Valley 319 96 289 83 317 94 299 92 El Toro 306 90 259 56 306 86 282 78 Laguna Hills 332 96 286 78 329 94 289 83 Mission Viejo 333 96 321 93 328 94 320 94 Trabuco Hills 308 91 297 84 314 91 313 92 *Santa Ana Unified 208 18 207 17 230 26 219 20 Saddleback 207 21 216 24 233 31 228 31 Santa Ana 214 26 213 22 237 34 219 23 Valley 208 22 181 8 229 28 211 17 *Tustin Unified 276 72 259 55 295 88 267 68 Foothill 286 79 263 59 318 92 285 80 Tustin 270 68 255 53 282 72 256 54

BACKGROUND 1988-89 1987-88 School % LEP % LEP *Anaheim Union Dist. 10.1 7.1 Anaheim 39.1 27.1 Cypress 4.0 3.4 Gilbert 1.8 3.5 Katella 3.7 5.4 Kennedy 1.1 4.5 Loara 10.1 6.3 Magnolia 9.3 3.7 Savanna 6.7 5.3 Western 4.8 2.1 *Brea-Olinda Unified 0.0 0.7 Brea Canyon 0.0 0.0 Brea-Olinda 0.0 0.7 *Capistrano Unified 0.7 0.5 Capistrano Valley 0.0 0.0 Dana Hills 0.0 0.0 San Clemente 2.7 1.7 *Fullerton Joint 3.1 2.4 Buena Park 6.7 4.9 Fullerton 4.1 2.6 La Habra 4.1 3.9 La Vista 0.0 0.0 Sonora 3.0 2.7 Sunny Hills 0.0 0.3 Troy 1.9 1.0 *Garden Grove 13.7 11.7 Bolsa Grande 27.5 21.4 Garden Grove 9.6 11.3 Lake 0.0 0.0 La Quinta 14.5 12.5 Los Amigos 10.3 2.0 Pacifica 1.5 1.9 Rancho Alamitos 12.5 9.4 Santiago 24.7 25.6 *Hunt. Beach Union 5.7 3.5 Edison 1.8 0.9 Fountain Valley 6.3 2.2 Huntington Beach 7.5 3.7 Marina 0.0 1.1 Ocean View 7.8 2.8 Westminster 11.7 11.8 *Irvine Unified 5.6 3.5 Irvine 5.8 7.1 University 7.3 0.0 Woodbridge 3.6 3.9 *Laguna Beach 0.0 0.4 Laguna Beach 0.0 0.4 Los Alamitos 0.0 0.0 Los Alamitos 0.0 0.0 *Newport-Mesa 2.1 1.6 Corona del Mar 1.3 0.0 Costa Mesa 6.9 0.0 Estancia 0.8 6.8 Newport Harbor 1.0 0.0 *Orange Unified 4.8 4.8 Canyon 4.1 0.2 El Modena 1.5 0.8 Orange 13.9 17.7 Villa Park 0.3 0.6 *Placentia Unified 0.5 0.2 El Dorado 0.0 0.0 Esperanza 0.0 0.2 Valencia 1.7 0.6 *Saddleback Valley 1.8 0.9 El Toro 3.9 0.0 Laguna Hills 0.0 3.6 Mission Viejo 1.3 0.8 Trabuco Hills 0.7 0.0 *Santa Ana Unified 16.3 17.8 Saddleback 15.7 16.0 Santa Ana 17.2 19.9 Valley 18.6 19.6 *Tustin Unified 2.4 2.7 Foothill 1.9 1.0 Tustin 3.2 4.9

% LEP--% of students with Limited English Proficiency

* School listed by district