No Action on Low CAP Scores

Officials at West High School in Torrance have decided they will not try to identify the seniors who deliberately flunked this year’s California Assessment Program test, saying it would be nearly impossible to track down every sabotaged test.

Principal William Bawden said administrators had considered identifying the tests in order to recalculate the West High scores but decided Thursday that it would be difficult to accurately identify every test.

“It would just be too hard to find all of them,” Bawden said. “There were a few that were easy to identify, but there were some that were very difficult.”

Bawden acknowledged that the decision was also influenced by media attention given to the school and the test.

“We just felt like we needed to make a decision and get on with our lives,” he said.

School officials disclosed last month that at least 18 seniors intentionally failed the test, which is used to gauge a school’s academic performance. The students, part of a class of 400, were upset because they believe administrators place too much emphasis on the test, school officials said.

Reading scores dropped from the 85th percentile statewide in 1987-88 to the 51st percentile this year, while math scores fell from the 95th to the 71st percentile. Administrators blame the lower scores on the sabotaged tests.

Administrators are concerned that the seniors’ action may set a precedent for other schools in Torrance, Bawden said. However, he said he believes next year’s class will not follow their example.

“What I’ve heard from the junior class is that they disagree with what the seniors did and say, ‘We would never do that,’ ” he said.