HIGH LIFE : A WEEKLY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS : O.C. Tops State Average on CAP Writing Test
Reflecting greater emphasis on writing skills, Orange County high school seniors achieved scores nearly 40 points higher than the state average on the 1990 California Assessment Program writing test, ranking second among the state’s largest counties, according to statistics recently released by the state Department of Education.
The 18,570 Orange County seniors who took the test last December scored an average of 294 on the test, 38 points higher than the state average of 256. Among the state’s largest counties, Orange County’s average was surpassed only by Marin County’s average score of 316. However, just 1,564 students took the test there. In 1989, Orange County ranked third behind Marin and Contra Costa counties.
Students countywide surpassed their counterparts from the class of 1989, who were the first 12th-graders to take the writing test. The countywide average was up 13 points over last year, surpassed only by seniors in San Diego County, where scores went up 14 points.
District officials attributed the increases to the widespread adoption of new English and language arts curricula closer to guidelines recommended by the state.
“I don’t want people to be agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them.”
--Jane Austen, English author (1775-1817)
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