The Stanford 9 test scores results are out and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District continues to improve in nearly all areas of studies in all schools, said SMMUSD Superintendent John Deasy after looking at preliminary results.
However, Malibu school numbers show increases in some areas and grades while indicating a small decrease in other grades and areas of studies.
And, except for math scores for Malibu High’s ninth grade, high school level testing scores turned out lower overall than the elementary and junior grade levels.
This was the fourth year of testing in the state’s STAR Program for students in grades 2 through 11. Students in grades 2 through 8 took the reading, mathematics, written expression and spelling sections of the Stanford Achievement Test (Stanford 9). Grades 9, 10 and 11 did not take spelling, but took tests in science and history-social science.
These tests were designed to help the state monitor the progress of school districts throughout California.
But Deasy noted that the Internet results, which were posted on Aug. 15, should be regarded as preliminary until they have been reviewed.
“Our test coordinator and entire leadership team will be checking the results for any reporting problems,” said Deasy in a press release.
But for now, test results indicate that SMMUSD’s results are improving in some areas while others have lost some ground.
Math scores were notably higher at Juan Cabrillo Elementary’s third grade level where scores improved from last year with a jump from 69 percent to 91 percent. These numbers reflect the percentage of students scoring at or above the national average on the 2001 Stanford 9 test. A 50 means that half the school’s students were at or above the national average).
The third grade improved in spelling as well, which went from last year’s numbers of 56 percent to this year at 75 percent.
Webster and Point Dume elementary schools, overall, stayed steady in most areas of study. However, Point Dume’s fifth grade class was at 100 percent in reading, 13 percent higher than last year.
As with elementary testing scores, junior high and high school scores showed mixed results.
However, big differences were seen from the jump to the 9th, 10th and 11th grades, where scores in reading, math and language were notably lower than junior and elementary grades, with Malibu High school scoring in the 60th and 70th percentiles.
The district, in its press release, concurred that the results, after four years of testing, will help the school district gather data with other achievement information to see if its efforts to strengthen curriculum and instruction are having an impact overall.
Demographics, English proficiency, economic status and varying student needs should also be taken into consideration since they can have an impact on the overall scoring system. Results are also reported separately for different groups such as boys and girls.