The Problems at Foothill High in Tustin Need to Be Resolved

Tustin Unified School District seems to have “Lost Sight of the Principle of the Thing” (Editorial, Orange County, May 4). The problems at Foothill High School need to be resolved, not suppressed.

Foothill students come from homes where parent education levels are superior. Of 56 high schools in Orange County, only two (Corona del Mar and University) have a higher percentile rank in parent education. Only one (Corona del Mar) has a smaller percentage of parents who haven’t finished high school.

But California Assessment Program (CAP) test scores at Foothill are low by comparison. Average CAP scores are better in reading at 24 Orange County high schools, in writing at 10 high schools and in math at six high schools. The dropout rate and pupil attendance rate also need improvement. Fourteen high schools have a lower percentage of dropouts, and eight have a higher attendance rate.

Another problem at Foothill is the number of seniors who take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and get high scores. The percentage taking the SAT is larger at four high schools in Orange County. Average scores are better in the verbal section of the SAT at five high schools, and better in the math section at 10 high schools.

This information comes from recent California Department of Education statistics printed by The Times (Orange County, Section U, Dec. 10). The facts indicate something is wrong at Foothill High School. If Tustin Unified School District will improve its vision, solutions can be found.

TERRENCE W. HALLORAN

Garden Grove