SPECIAL REPORT ON SCHOOL TEST SCORES : Community News Focus : About the Tests

The Times today is publishing key scores from the California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) tests, which were designed to measure students’ knowledge and abilities against objective standards. To do that, CLAS establishes six performance levels in each of the three subject areas covered by the test--reading, writing and math. Every student scores at one of those levels.

For example, students who performed at Level 1 in reading understood only single words or phrases in the assigned reading passage and were unable to take away a “coherent meaning” from what they read.

Students at the highest level, Level 6, were able to “demonstrate insight” as they wrote about the passage and showed an ability to “explore complexities in depth” and “expand on the possible meanings of a text.”

In math, students who scored at Level 1 made major mathematical errors or provided little or no explanation of how they solved problems. Exams scored at Level 6 provided clear and logical explanations of solutions and made effective use of mathematical language, diagrams and graphs.

On the writing exams, Level 1 essays were brief and disorganized and included major errors in grammar, punctuation, capitalization and spelling. Essays graded at Level 6 presented a complex range of ideas, supported with logical reasons and detailed answers, and were written in a distinctive style.

Exams scored at the other four levels rated between those two extremes. Students who scored at Level 3 or below, in effect, failed to demonstrate the understanding that would merit a passing grade on a conventional test.

The tests were scored by specially trained evaluators, whose work was periodically reviewed by teachers who had trained them.

The scores given to individual schools reflect the percentage of students performing at each level, in each subject. Theoretically, the best result would be for 100% of the students to achieve at Level 6. The worst would be if 100% of the students were at Level 1.

This year, the state has also released a composite score--the combined percentage of students scoring at Levels 4, 5 or 6 at each school--to make it easier to compare schools to one another.

The tests were given to students in the 4th, 8th and 10th grades.

How to Read the Scores

Find your school district under the appropriate grade level. The districts are listed alphabetically. Find your school under the district name. The score recorded for each school reflects the percentage of its students scoring at Levels 4, 5 or 6--in effect, those who demonstrated at least “basic” understanding of the subject matter in the three skill areas.

An asterisk (*) indicates that a school had too few students take the test to produce a reliable score.

A double asterisk (**) indicates scores were released though less than 50% of eligible students took exams. State officials stand by the statistical validity of those scores, but some local educators question results based on so few tests.

Categories labeled “100 Comp” show the reading, writing and math scores of 100 demographically comparable California schools.

Additional Information on the Scores

California Learning Assessment System scores for individual schools, districts or the entire state may be obtained in several ways:

* On the ‘Net: Use an Internet service to contact the California Department of Education “gopher” server at “goldmine.cde.ca.gov”.

* Using a modem and a computer: Download files from the department’s computer at (916) 657-4881 or (916) 657-5371. CLAS files can be found from the main menu with the following commands: type F, for file menu; type L, for list of available files and type 7 to select the CLAS file area. The files are in a compressed format and may be viewed only when downloaded and decompressed.

* Locally: Scores are available from your local school district.

Grade 10

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Statewide 35 39 14 -- -- -- Orange County 50 50 22 -- -- --

Anaheim Union High

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 36 38 12 -- -- -- Anaheim High 43 42 8 28 32 8 Cypress High 38 45 18 40 46 19 Gilbert High (Cont.) 28 24 3 31 34 9 Katella High 23 33 13 34 37 12 Kennedy High 43 41 15 40 46 18 Loara High 35 34 14 35 40 13 Magnolia High 51 33 10 35 38 13 Savanna High 27 37 9 36 39 14 Western High 35 45 13 35 39 13

Brea Olinda Unified

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 60 75 29 -- -- -- Brea Canyon High (Cont.) 20 * 0 19 22 6 Brea Olinda High 61 75 30 47 52 24

Capistrano Unified

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 55 50 29 -- -- -- Aliso Niguel High 55 33 30 49 54 26 Capistrano Valley High 57 56 29 47 52 24 Dana Hills High 58 59 33 47 52 24 San Clemente High 51 52 23 43 49 20

Fullerton Joint Union

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 53 59 20 -- -- -- Buena Park High 40 44 8 32 36 10 Fullerton High 52 55 13 34 38 13 La Habra High 47 54 12 33 39 13 La Vista High (Cont.) * * 0 25 27 9 Sonora High 55 59 11 42 46 19 Sunny Hills High 56 71 33 49 53 26 Troy High 70 68 40 48 53 25

Garden Grove Unified

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 52 47 15 -- -- -- Bolsa Grande High 55 51 16 31 34 9 Garden Grove High 54 44 17 33 37 12 La Quinta High 49 47 22 33 35 12 Lake High (Cont.) 10 10 2 22 26 7 Lincoln Educ. Ctr - * * 0 29 30 8 Los Amigos High 62 55 14 29 33 9 Pacifica High 53 54 20 39 45 18 Rancho Alamitos High 56 51 14 32 35 11 Santiago High 42 39 6 28 32 8

Huntington Beach Unified

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 52 52 24 -- -- -- Edison High 65 67 29 44 50 22 Fountain Valley High 55 51 23 47 52 24 Huntington Beach High 59 62 24 42 46 19 Marina High 45 44 25 43 50 22 Ocean View High 57 40 23 40 44 18 Westminster High 34 48 18 32 36 11

Irvine Unified

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 68 66 38 -- -- -- Irvine High 68 64 42 51 55 27 University High 66 71 38 53 57 30 Woodbridge High 71 61 32 51 56 28

Laguna Beach Unified

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 39 70 23 -- -- -- Laguna Beach High 39 70 23 54 58 32

Los Alamitos Unified

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 67 62 30 -- -- -- Laurel High (Cont.) 19 13 0 35 37 15 Los Alamitos High 70 65 32 43 48 21

Newport-Mesa Unified

Too few students took the test to produce reliable scores.

Orange Unified

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide * * * -- -- -- Canyon High * * * 50 55 26 El Modena High * * * 47 51 24 Orange High 18 23 11 34 37 12 Richland Continuation 0 5 0 31 35 13 Villa Park High * * * 50 54 26

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified

Scores not expected until late May.

Santa Ana Unified

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide** 43 28 5 -- -- -- Century High** 47 34 6 29 34 9 Saddleback High** 37 23 4 29 34 10 Santa Ana High** 55 42 10 28 32 8 Valley High** 36 23 2 28 32 8

Saddleback Valley

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 55 55 27 -- -- -- El Toro High 49 44 25 47 52 24 Laguna Hills High 68 63 32 51 55 27 Mission Viejo High 43 53 22 49 54 25 Silverado High (Cont.)** 38 28 5 13 14 3 Trabuco Hills High 64 66 32 45 51 23

Tustin Unified

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 46 40 27 -- -- -- Foothill High 57 54 35 50 55 26 Hillview High (Cont.) * * * 20 21 5 Tustin High 37 29 19 42 45 18