O.C.’s SAT Scores Again Beat U.S., State Averages

Most Orange County high school graduates outscored their peers across the state and nation on the Scholastic Assessment Test in 1997, as they have in years past, though a few local school districts saw their scores slip from the previous year, according to figures released Tuesday.

Educators said a number of elements contributed to year-to-year changes in scores on the SAT, a key factor in admission to many colleges.

Delaine Eastin, state superintendent of public instruction, cited research showing that students who tackle rigorous academic courses do better on the SAT.

Across California, students who completed 20 or more academic classes had an average score of 552 on the verbal section of the SAT and 570 in math. Those who took fewer than 15 courses averaged 432 in verbal and 454 in math. The highest possible score on each segment is 800.

A year-to-year comparison of total Orange County results will not be available until all districts have received their scores.

Stephanie Paggi, director of curriculum for the Garden Grove Unified School District, agreed with Eastin’s theory that advanced course loads generally boost SAT results.

“The SAT is a rigorous exam, so students would need to come from a rigorous curriculum background to do well,” Paggi said.

Garden Grove Unified was among the districts in which average scores rose.

At six of the seven Garden Grove Unified high schools for which SAT results were available Tuesday, all showed higher math scores. Paggi attributed the improvement to stepped-up SAT prep courses, more upper-division course offerings such as pre-calculus, and adoption of new math textbooks that approach problem-solving from a practical viewpoint.

Some Garden Grove schools also posted higher verbal scores than the year before.

At La Quinta High, the verbal average jumped 50 points to 500. Paggi credited instruction in basic vocabulary and grammar skills in all courses, including English, history, math and the sciences.

“In the last four to five years, we have focused on reading and writing strategies across the board at the secondary level,” she said. “Now we’re beginning to see how that has made an impact.”

But other educators said the situation is more complicated than that.

At Newport-Mesa Unified’s well-respected Corona del Mar High, where an assortment of full-year advanced-placement and honors courses are offered, the 1997 SAT average fell by 39 points to 1,109. Newport-Mesa officials said they have not cut back on accelerated classes. In fact, at Estancia High, where the number of rigorous courses increased, the latest SAT total average was down 63 points to 1,043, the biggest decrease in the district.

“There are so many variables involved in changing SAT results,” Estancia Principal Marguerite Anatol said. “You get different students in every class, and their performance varies. These are things we are going to look into and work harder at.”

Huntington Beach Union also saw an SAT decline despite offering more higher-level courses. Officials said they will reexamine data over several years to see if they can pinpoint reasons for the troubling trend.

At the district’s Westminster High, the average total score dived 112 points to 990. That decrease may be due to a growing immigrant population, said Dorothy Crutcher, Huntington Beach Union’s director of pupil services.

“Westminster has had a significant influx of bilingual students,” Crutcher said. “Their math scores are stronger than their verbals. They may not score as high on the SAT, but that doesn’t mean they won’t succeed. The SAT is just a predictor of how students will do in college, not of student achievement.”

As in years past, Irvine Unified’s University High School had the county’s highest average SAT scores: 574 on the verbal portion, 634 on math.

“We have a community that places a high value on education,” said Dean Waldfogel, deputy superintendent of curriculum and secondary education. “Apart from that, among the students themselves there is a culture that says, ‘We’re interested in going to the university and doing well.’ ”

Although students in California lag behind their counterparts across the nation in tackling rigorous academic classes, the rate has increased, State Supt. Eastin said.

In 1991, only 20% of those taking the SAT had completed 20 or more academic courses. For the latest year, 31% had done so. Still, Eastin said, that figure is too low. She called for a tougher high school curriculum and a longer school year.

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SAT Results

For Orange County schools, by district. Figures in bold represent district averages:

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1996 1997 Change Verbal Math Verbal Math Verbal Math NATION 505 508 505 511 0 +3 STATE 495 511 496 514 +1 +3

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DISTRICT 1996 1997 change School Verbal Math Verbal Math Verbal Math ANAHEIM 482 526 477 527 -5 +1 Anaheim 430 467 407 458 -23 -9 Cypress 500 553 511 563 +11 +10 Katella 485 535 478 550 -7 +15 Kennedy 500 546 503 581 +3 +35 Loara 480 524 469 515 -11 -9 Magnolia 464 498 482 501 +18 +3 Savanna 475 515 450 482 -25 -17 Western 476 519 468 498 -8 -21 *BREA OLINDA 528 567 538 580 +10 +13 CAPISTRANO n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Aliso Niguel n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Capistrano Valley n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Dana Hills n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a San Clemente n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a FULLERTON 522 557 515 557 -7 0 Buena Park 446 453 439 479 -7 +26 Fullerton 530 518 508 530 -22 +12 La Habra 497 513 470 492 -27 -21 Sonora 505 518 505 515 0 -3 Sunny Hills 535 602 545 612 +10 +10 Troy 550 590 536 573 -14 -17 GARDEN GROVE 465 529 n/a n/a n/a n/a Bolsa Grande 463 545 475 550 +12 +5 Garden Grove 467 530 478 532 +11 +2 La Quinta 450 539 500 550 +50 +11 Los Amigos 469 527 452 536 -17 +9 Pacifica 517 539 535 557 +18 +18 Rancho Alamitos 456 529 451 531 -5 +3 Santiago 426 485 n/a n/a n/a n/a HUNTINGTON BEACH 523 554 512 552 -11 -2 Huntington Beach 526 545 520 534 -6 -9 Westminster 537 565 465 525 -72 -40 Marina 537 565 528 566 -9 +1 Fountain Valley 526 570 518 564 -8 -6 Edison 530 559 514 554 -16 -5 Ocean View 534 542 514 559 -20 +17 IRVINE 540 588 550 606 +10 +18 Irvine High 533 578 541 589 +8 +11 University 565 612 574 634 +9 +22 Woodbridge 577 568 529 587 -48 +19 *LAGUNA BEACH 547 548 551 541 +4 -7 *LOS ALAMITOS 529 556 519 557 -10 +1 NEWPORT-MESA 541 573 525 552 -16 -21 Corona Del Mar 559 589 540 569 -19 -20 Costa Mesa 511 562 482 530 -29 -32 Estancia 546 560 511 532 -35 -28 Newport Harbor 530 561 537 553 +7 -8 ORANGE 523 552 519 552 -4 0 Canyon 528 550 526 564 -2 +14 El Modena 526 551 516 540 -10 -11 Orange 480 519 489 508 +9 -11 Villa Park 538 571 530 571 -8 0 PLACENTIA-YORBA LINDA 524 559 527 564 +3 5 El Dorado 528 560 513 556 -15 -4 Esperanza 523 563 542 571 +19 +8 Valencia 522 545 507 559 -15 +14 SADDLEBACK 533 559 536 568 +3 +9 El Toro 530 551 527 556 -3 +5 Laguna Hills 546 585 546 590 0 +5 Mission Viejo 529 551 543 569 +14 +18 Trabuco Hills 527 547 530 558 +3 +11 SANTA ANA 420 458 416 451 -4 -7 Century 425 440 416 420 -9 -20 Saddleback 446 478 435 476 -11 -2 Santa Ana 387 443 398 449 +11 +6 Valley 410 458 396 463 -14 +5 TUSTIN U 518 546 522 559 +4 +13 Foothill 554 590 534 575 -20 -15 Tustin 481 501 497 526 +16 +25

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* These districts have only one high school.