School Writing Tests Cheer Educators

If one of the goals of regular testing is to help shape what goes on in the classroom, then state and local education officials have reason to be cheered by results of a statewide survey that looks at the newly revised California Assessment Program’s writing exam.

“To show continued success on the CAP writing test, schools must develop a multi-year approach to writing instruction that crosses all grade levels and subject areas,” state Supt. of Public Instruction Bill Honig said when the test results were made public in February. And that is apparently what is happening.

The statewide survey by two college professors showed the writing exam is having an effect on the English curriculum in junior high and middle schools.

Professors Sandra Murphy of San Francisco State University and Charles Cooper of UC San Diego sent their survey to eighth-grade teachers at 600 randomly selected schools, and more than 90% of English teachers responding said the test will strengthen the curriculum at their schools.

The annual test, administered to 308,000 eighth-graders last spring, covers eight types of writing. All essays must be completed in 45 minutes, and each is scored to measure thinking and writing process skills as well as such mechanics of writing as spelling and grammar.

More than 90% of the survey respondents also said they have already changed the way they teach writing because of the test, and 78% said they now make more writing assignments.

Four types of writing--autobiographical incident, evaluation, problem solution and report of information--were introduced when the writing assessment program was launched in 1987. First-hand biography and story were added in 1988, followed last year by the addition of observational writing and speculation about causes or effects.

A writing exam for 12th-graders was begun in the fall of 1988 and will be fully implemented with eight tests this November.

HOW TO READ THE SCORES

Here are the school-by-school results of the California Assessment Program’s writing exam that was administered to eighth-graders throughout the state last spring.

The exam consists of eight tests of writing ability and represents the state’s biggest step to date away from the much-criticized multiple-choice method of testing academic achievement.

Results are listed by school district and by individual school so that parents can compare the performance of youngsters in their community with that of students in the rest of Los Angeles County and throughout California. (Schools are listed alphabetically by district.)

Because the exam was changed substantially last year with the addition of two more writing tests, only the latest round of scores is listed.

The scaled score is a combination of results on each of the eight separate writing tests. The statewide average score was 255 for eighth-graders, and the average in Los Angeles County was 230.

Relative rank is a way to compare a district or school with another that is similar to it in terms of student ethnic and socioeconomic makeup and students’ ability to speak English fluently, as well as how often those students move from school to school. The value listed is the school’s percentile rank within its comparison group.

State rank shows the school or district’s rank (on a scale of 1 to 99), comparing its scores to scores of every other school or district in the state.

Glendale Unified DISTRICT AVERAGE

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 269 63 78

ROOSEVELT

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 211 17 49

ROSEMONT

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 292 80 64

TOLL

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 270 64 83

WILSON

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 287 76 91

Los Angeles Unified DISTRICT AVERAGE

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 202 16 21

ADAMS

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 128 1 1

ARROYO SECO ALT.

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 222 23 11

AUDUBON

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 178 7 1

BANCROFT

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 200 13 27

BELVEDERE

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 182 7 20

BERENDO

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 196 11 30

BETHUNE

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 141 1 3

BURBANK

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 209 16 37

CARVER

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 140 1 2

DREW

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 131 1 1

EAGLE ROCK JUNIOR-SENIOR

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 230 29 17

EDISON

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 141 1 3

EL SERENO

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 173 5 13

FOSHAY (JAMES A.)

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 154 2 5

GOMPERS

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 130 1 1

GRIFFITH

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 196 11 30

HART, BRET

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 163 3 8

HOLLENBECK

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 168 3 10

IRVING

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 204 15 34

KING

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 211 17 45

LE CONTE

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 198 12 33

LOS ANGELES (CES)

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 285 74 23

MARKHAM (EDWIN)

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 150 2 4

MARKHAM

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 272 65 43

MID-CITY ALT.

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 165 3 1

MUIR

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 138 1 2

NIGHTINGALE

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 175 5 15

REVERE

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 263 59 47

STEVENSON

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 173 5 13

STEVENSON MAGNET

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 305 86 92

VIRGIL

Scaled Relative State Year Score Rank Rank 88-89 178 7 17

These scores are for schools in the central Los Angeles area. Other scores will appear in the appropriate zoned edition.