Test Violations Cited at 2 Simi Schools

Stanford 9 test scores at two Simi Valley high schools may be invalidated after district officials found widespread problems in the way teachers prepared students for the exam.

Last month, all sophomores and juniors at Simi Valley and Royal high schools took the high-stakes standardized test, part of the state’s annual effort to gauge school performance.

California Department of Education officials are now investigating whether several teachers used questions from a previous version of the exam to drill students, which would be a violation of state policy barring educators from “teaching to the test.”

If the scores are thrown out, the schools could be excluded from a state program that doles out financial rewards based on academic achievement.

“We’re very embarrassed by what has happened, and we extend our apology to our community and the larger education community,” said Kathryn Scroggin, an assistant superintendent with the Simi Valley Unified School District. She said the district has sent out letters to parents explaining the situation. “We want to focus on the hard work our students have done to improve achievement,” she added.

Royal High School Principal Bob La Belle took full responsibility for the mistake, saying he didn’t realize using the old test was wrong. District officials said they informed administrators of the policy in numerous meetings after the state adopted the new rule last fall.

“It’s not the teachers’ fault at all--they’re doing everything right,” La Belle said. “I’m the captain of the ship.”

The old version of the Stanford 9 test--which includes many of the same questions that appear on the current exam--is kept in locked storage on campus, he said. State policy allows teachers to review old tests for preparation purposes, but forbids handing out samples to students.

Scroggin would not comment about whether there will be any disciplinary action at either school, saying personnel matters are confidential.

Simi Valley High School Principal Jan Britz could not be reached for comment.

The test preparation violation could invalidate each school’s scores regardless of whether the exam itself was administered appropriately, said Richard Diaz, an administrator in the state’s standards and assessment division.

If test scores are invalidated, Simi Valley and Royal could be excluded from this year’s Academic Performance Index, a state ranking of schools that can mean sizable financial rewards.

Diaz said the irregularity may also disqualify students from scholarships worth $1,000 each that are normally given to top scorers.

Under the state system, being disqualified for one API ranking effectively throws the school out for two years, because rewards are based on improvement over the previous year. However, the Simi Valley schools could apply for a waiver that would enable them to compete next year.

Diaz stressed the consequences won’t be determined until the investigation is complete, which could take up to a month.

Simi Valley’s case is the fourth such irregularity reported to the state during this year’s round of testing, which began in mid-April. Last year, the state investigated improper test preparation at six schools across California. In several other cases, students were caught cheating on the exam.

Ventura County Supt. of Schools Chuck Weis said this appears to be the first incident of testing irregularity in Ventura County since the state accountability program began three years ago.

Though he expressed disappointment about what happened in Simi Valley, he called it an inevitable effect of the “testing mania” that he believes is taking over public education.

“It all comes down to the problem that this one test is worth so much,” Weis said. “And the sad thing is, this test does not tell you everything you need to know about the quality of a school or a student.”