More Seniors Passing College Credit Tests : Education: Officials credit stringent academic programs and the rising number of students who take the Advanced Placement exams.

The number of Ventura County high school seniors who passed rigorous Advanced Placement exams, which students take to earn college credit, has increased by 306% over the past eight years, according to a state report released Wednesday.

The county’s Class of 1992 earned passing marks on 26.8 tests per 100 seniors, up from 6.6 in 1984. This marks the second consecutive year that county students have outpaced the state’s passing rates.

California’s passing rate last year was 20.7 tests for every 100 public school seniors, up from 7.2 in 1984. The estimated passing rate for the nation as a whole was 12 last year.

Ventura County school officials attribute the improved passing rates to more stringent academic programs, designed to better prepare students for college-level work. They say this, coupled with the fact that more students are taking the exams, has helped to boost the passing rates.

The Advanced Placement exams are sponsored by the College Board, a nonprofit New York-based testing organization. They are given in 16 subjects, including foreign language, physics, calculus, art, history and English literature. Last school year, students in 46% of the nation’s high schools took one or more AP exams.

A score of 3 or better on a scale of 1 to 5 is needed to qualify for credit at most of the nation’s colleges. For example, high school seniors who pass an Advanced Placement history test would not be required to take a beginning history course in college.

Students in nine districts in Ventura County took the college-level exams in 1992, and five of those districts reported slight to significant increases in the number who passed compared to the previous year. Those were Oxnard Union High, Ojai Unified, Simi Valley Unified, Moorpark Unified and Santa Paula Union High, with the last two doubling their passing rates from the previous year.

The four remaining districts--Conejo Valley Unified, Fillmore Unified, Oak Park Unified and Ventura Unified--reported slight decreases in the number of students who passed the exams compared to the year before.

Those districts where test results fell below the county and state passing rates in 1992 are Oxnard Union High, Fillmore Unified, Santa Paula Union and Ventura Unified.

But Arlene Miro, director of administrative services for the Ventura district, said that the passing rate at her district--19.4 tests per 100 students--represents only a minor fluctuation from the year before. The qualifying rate in 1991 was 22.8.

She pointed out that the number of students who have passed the exams has increased 1193% since 1983.

“It’s just a fluctuation,” she said of this year’s results. “We’d rather look at the overall growth since 1983. We’re very pleased.”

Despite shrinking budgets, most county school districts said they plan to expand their placement classes in the future.

Oak Park High School Principal Jeff Chancer said his school already offers Advanced Placement classes in calculus, U. S. history, physics, chemistry and biology. He said the district last year added government and next year plans to add world history.

Chancer said one senior at the school earned credit for six college courses by the time she graduated last year. Since the school began offering the college level exams in 1986, the number of those taking the test has increased from three to 58, he said.

“We encourage all students to take it,” he said.

Officials at Santa Paula Union High School District said they were pleased about their gains, even though they are still far below statewide passing rates. Santa Paula seniors last year earned qualifying marks on 9.1 tests per 100, up 4.9 from the year before.

“We’re very pleased at how well we’ve done because we just entered into the program three years ago,” said Supt. Carolina Erie. She said the district has worked hard to encourage students to prepare for the tests as soon as possible.

“I think it validates the work of the students and instructors,” she said of the results.

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Advanced Placement Tests

Ventura County students passing Advanced Placement tests, per 100 seniors.

Class Class School District of ’84 of ’92 % Increase Conejo Valley Unified 14.5 46.0 217 Fillmore Unified 7.7* 8.2 6 Moorpark Unified 12.6* 24.1 91 Oak Park Unified 4.1* 67.2 1539 Ojai Unified 18.4 49.5 169 Oxnard Union High 1.7 16.6 876 Santa Paula Union High 0.5* 9.1 1720 Simi Valley Unified 9.4 28.9 207 Ventura Unified 1.5 19.4 1193 Ventura County Average 6.6 26.8 306 State Average 7.2 20.7 188

* 1984 data not available; the substituted rate is the first year after 1984 with data available.

Source: California Department of Education