Widespread Improvement Seen in Stanford 9 Tests

In the region’s first sets of results from recent statewide standardized tests, the Saugus Union School District has posted gains nearly across the board in reading and math scores.

“We’re very excited about our results,” Joan Lucid, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said Thursday.

Overall, the second- through sixth-graders who took the Stanford 9 in March scored well above the national average. In math and reading, about three-fourths of the students scored at or above the 50th percentile.

Percentiles rank students against peers in other parts of the nation. The 50th percentile is the national median, with half scoring higher and half lower.

For all grades except the fifth, the percentage of students with higher scores increased slightly from last year, the first time the Stanford 9 was administered.

In reading, for instance, 74% of the second-graders scored at or above the national median, compared with 71% last year.

Pupils in the 8,500-student elementary school district did particularly well in math. Third-graders jumped five percentage points, to 82% from 77% scoring at or above the national median.

Fifth-graders’ scores saw slight declines from last year, but not large enough for concern, Lucid said.

Results will trickle in this month to school districts based on when students took the Stanford 9. Saugus students took the test earlier than most districts in the San Fernando Valley and neighboring communities.

Statewide scores are scheduled for public release June 30. Results are highly anticipated by district administrators because the state plans to rank California schools and financially penalize schools that consistently score low.