Annual Rite of Standardized Tests Brings Anxiety to Campuses

Wilma Figueroa, a sophomore at Kennedy High School, was looking for some divine intervention Monday.

“I’m extremely nervous, and I feel lots of pressure,” she said. “So I was praying that I do good.”

She was not alone.

This week, many schools throughout Southern California began that annual rite of spring that sends thousands of students scurrying to the books, puts some teachers in a frenzy and sets many principals on edge--the Stanford 9 achievement test.

All students in California in grades two through 11 are required to take standardized tests, a barometer of student performance that can make or break a district’s reputation.

In all, 4.1 million students at more than 8,000 California schools will take the exam that measures math, reading and writing skills.

Most of the state’s school districts are administering the test this week, although some schools started earlier.

“I’m concerned whether my students will do well because some kids get anxious and worried,” said Yolanda Cruz, a fifth-grade teacher at Encino Elementary School. “It’s important to have a guideline for progress, but the test shouldn’t be the only indicator of a student’s success.”

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The stakes are especially high this year because under Gov. Gray Davis’ education plan, test scores will be an important factor in ranking schools, which aims to identify the state’s best and worst performing campuses. In Los Angeles, some principals face demotion or transfer if scores don’t improve.

“Everybody is looking at your scores this year,” said Santa Paula High School Principal Tony Gaitan. “So we’re focusing on testing and making it a priority.”

For nearly eight weeks, teachers at the Ventura County school have spent 15 minutes every day helping to prepare students for the exam. They began testing Monday.

“This is how you’re judged,” said Bob Kroning, assistant principal at Maclay Middle School in Pacoima. “The results are published so everyone knows how you do.”

Parents of Maclay students received letters last week urging them to make sure their children get a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast during the six-day period the test is being administered.

In Orange County’s Capistrano Unified School District, similar letters were sent to parents. They compared the test to an athletic event, in which preparation is key.

“Every little bit helps,” said Jeffrey Bristow, director of testing and evaluation for the district.

In some cases, the extra rest and good nutrition won’t make much difference anyway.

“Today’s math test had algebra, and I didn’t even know it so I just checked in any answer,” said Robert Cairo, 11, a fifth-grader at Twenty-Fourth Street Elementary School in Los Angeles. “It was hard.”

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Angela Serratore, an eighth-grader at Millikan Middle School in Sherman Oaks, had an entirely different experience.

“I thought it was the easiest test I’ve ever taken,” she said. “The standards for public schools at LAUSD are so low. This school district is so messed up. Thank God I’m going to a private school next year.”

Students at Encino Elementary created orange and purple posters listing test strategies: Study hard, get plenty of rest, and have a good meal beforehand. “The test is definitely a report card to grade a school,” Principal John Hall said. “The reputation of your school is on the line, and it’s a very anxiety-ridden time.”

Students at Melrose Avenue Elementary in Los Angeles were not quite as confident. Principal Regina Goldman said the mood on campus was mellow.

“Kids didn’t seem stressed,” she said. “The only thing bothering them was the heat.”

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Contributing to this report were Times staff writers Eleanor Yang in Orange County, Julie Ha in Los Angeles and Anna Gorman in Ventura County.