The Big One--Stanford 9--Puts Schools to the Test

Wilma Figueroa, a sophomore at Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, 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 a 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 2 through 11 are required to take the standardized test, 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.”

The stakes are especially high this year because under Gov. Gray Davis’ education plan, test scores will be an important factor in ranking schools. In the Los Angeles Unified School District, 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 a 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 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, where 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 help much 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.”

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 [the district] are so low. This school district is so messed up. Thank God I’m going to a private school next year.”

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.”

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