Districts do well on Stanford 9 test

Angelique Flores

Compared to state and county scores, the four local school districts

ranked higher overall nationally on the Stanford 9.

The standardized test administered in the spring to students in the

second through 11th grades tested reading, math, language and spelling.

Science and social science knowledge was also tested at the high school

level.

Nationally, California schools ranked from a low 33 percentile average

in 10th-grade math to a high 56th percentile in 11th-grade social science. Compared to the rest of the country, Orange County’s scores

ranged from the 39th percentile in 10th-grade reading to the 67th

percentile in sixth-grade math.

However, local districts ranked better nationally than either the

state or county.

Huntington Beach Union High School District’s percentile rankings

ranged from a low 44 in 11th-grade reading to 70th in ninth-grade math.

Huntington Beach City School District’s scores ranged from the 55th

percentile in eighth-grade spelling to the 78th percentile in third-grade

math.

Ocean View School District made great leaps from last year’s test

scores, which they attribute to a number of things, including more time

spent on math and reading and more parent involvement. Their scores

ranged from the 53rd percentile in third-grade spelling to the 76th

percentile in eighth-grade spelling.

“We’re very pleased at our good, strong showing that came out stronger

than the county and state,” said Karen Colby, assistant superintendent of

curriculum and instruction at Ocean View.

Fountain Valley had the highest scores among the local districts and

was among the top three districts in the county, just below Irvine

Unified and Laguna Beach Unified school districts and tying with Cypress

School District.

Fountain Valley School District’s national percentiles ranged from 66

in eighth-grade reading to 80 in third-grade math, with one stray ranking

of 55 in eighth-grade spelling.

“We compete against ourselves,” said Fountain Valley Supt. Marc Ecker

on the district’s overall standings.

Though proud of his students, he doesn’t feel the comparisons between

districts are always fair.

“You’re not comparing apples to apples,” Ecker said, pointing out that

the number of circumstances, such as the amount of English-speaking

students and socioeconomic status, affects the scores.

Still, the district attributes their high scores to their teachers and

intervention programs.