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--and 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. The districts are listed alphabetically. Find your school under the district name.

* The Times today is reporting scores for individual schools using the composite figure provided by the state--denoting the percentage of test-takers who achieved a passing score. So, each figure listed indicates the percentage of students at that school who scored 4, 5 or 6 in a given skills area, reading (R) , writing (W) or math (M) . An asterisk indicates that a school had too few students take the test to produce a reliable aggregate score. Scores appear on this page and on Pages B4-5 .

Scores for schools in the San Fernando Valley, Orange County and Ventura County can be found in the appropriate editions of The Times.

* Main story, A1.

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.

* Locally: Scores are available from your local school district or from your county office of education.

Grade 8

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Statewide 39 46 23 -- -- -- Los Angeles County 32 38 16 -- -- --

Burbank Unified

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 42 57 18 -- -- -- Jordan Junior High 47 57 14 33 43 17 Luther Burbank Junior High 37 49 18 41 50 23 Muir Junior High 42 63 20 47 55 29

Castaic Union

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 57 62 27 -- -- -- Castaic Middle 57 62 27 42 50 25

Eastside Union Elementary

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 21 32 9 -- -- -- Gifford C. Cole Middle 21 32 9 38 46 21

Glendale Unified

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 50 58 27 -- -- -- Roosevelt Elementary 46 48 21 30 37 14 Toll Junior High 40 50 19 32 39 17 Rosemont Junior High 65 70 40 53 61 37 Wilson Junior High 52 62 27 41 48 25

Gorman Elementary

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide * * * -- -- -- Gorman Elementary * * * 36 42 18

Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 29 40 14 -- -- -- Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes 29 40 14 49 55 32

Keppel Union Elementary

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 31 35 11 -- -- -- Almondale Middle 33 36 11 35 42 19 Lake Los Angeles Elementary * * 11 38 46 23

La Canada Unified

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 79 77 60 -- -- -- La Canada High 79 77 60 67 72 52

Lancaster Elementary

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 24 33 9 -- -- -- Park View Intermediate 26 32 11 41 50 24 Piute Intermediate 21 34 8 40 49 24

Las Virgenes Unified

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 67 69 47 -- -- -- Wright Middle 71 67 44 60 67 44 Lindero Canyon Middle 61 71 51 65 71 50

Los Angeles Unified

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 24 28 10 -- -- -- Aggeler High * * 13 44 49 25 Valley Alternative 53 50 7 49 55 32 Sherman Oaks CES 42 40 30 50 57 32 Byrd Middle 25 20 9 29 35 14 Columbus Middle 32 27 10 29 37 15 Fulton Middle 16 17 3 23 30 10 Holmes Middle 17 28 10 43 52 26 Lawrence Middle * * 22 36 45 21 Maclay Middle 9 14 4 24 31 10 Millikan Middle 34 44 18 36 43 20 Mt. Gleason Middle 27 32 8 33 42 18 Mulholland Middle 22 27 15 32 40 16 Northridge Middle 18 34 6 27 35 13 Pacoima Middle 24 25 7 28 36 14 Porter Middle 56 58 34 43 51 27 Frost Middle 34 36 16 42 49 25 San Fernando Middle 13 12 3 26 33 12 Sepulveda Middle 52 51 38 35 43 19 Sutter Middle 28 31 13 36 44 20 Van Nuys Middle 25 32 17 29 37 15 Hale Middle 36 37 22 43 52 28 Henry Middle 12 12 6 41 49 24 Madison Middle 29 28 14 32 39 17 Nobel Middle 35 37 24 48 57 33 Olive Vista Middle 18 27 5 28 35 14 Parkman Middle 26 26 18 43 52 27 Portola Middle 37 35 25 41 50 25 Sun Valley Middle 18 23 5 24 31 11 Reed Middle 35 29 21 37 45 21

Palmdale Elementary

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 35 44 13 -- -- -- Sage Intermediate 39 52 16 40 49 24 Juniper Intermediate 28 40 9 34 42 18 Cactus Elementary * * * 47 53 30 Buena Vista Elementary 38 47 15 38 46 22 Wildflower Elementary * * * 38 46 20 Palmdale Learning Plus * * * 50 56 32

Westside Union Elementary

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 35 37 19 -- -- -- Del Sur Elementary 35 * 18 41 49 24 Walker Middle 37 45 19 46 53 29 Hillview Middle School * * * 51 57 33

William S. Hart Union High School

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide 43 50 35 -- -- -- Arroyo Seco Junior High 43 45 38 48 57 32 Placerita Junior High 49 50 36 49 57 32 Sierra Vista Junior High 38 53 32 44 52 27

Wilsona Elementary

Results 100 Comp. R% W% M% R% W% M% Districtwide * * * -- -- -- Challenger Middle * * * 38 46 21