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Saratoga students stay in top percentiles in SAT-9
By Leigh Ann Maze
Saratoga students did very well on the Stanford Achievement Test, also called the SAT-9 test, the results of which were released by the California Department of Education on July 17.
The SAT-9 is a nationally normalized test administered annually to California public school students in grades two through 11. The multiple-choice test covers math, reading, language, history/social science and science.
This is only the third year the test has been given. The purpose of the test is to measure student performance and to see how California students compare with others across the country.
Students in grades two through five in the Saratoga Union School District took the test. They scored between the 81st and 94th percentiles in reading, math, language and spelling. That means they did better in reading than 81 to 94 percent of students across the nation in those subjects. Science and social science scores were not available. The SUSD students' scores generally improved or stayed the same compared to last year's scores. In some cases their performance dropped a few percentage points. They scored highest on the math portion of the test.
Redwood Middle School students stayed above the 80th percentile across the board in reading, math, language and spelling. The lowest score in the 80th percentile was in spelling while the high score in the 95th percentile was in the math section of the test. While a few of these scores decreased by a few percentage points compared to last year's scores, in general, the scores stayed the same or improved slightly.
Saratoga High School students' scores stayed the same or improved across the board except for the grade 10 reading score which declined one percentage point. Math and language were SHS students' strong points.
According to Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District Superintendent Cynthia Ranii, local schools are in the top one percent of results statewide.
"We're a premier district in the nation. And this is one measure of that fact. We're extremely pleased," Ranii said, adding that last year's scores did not show as much improvement. "We see a closer attention to the testing environment and also closer attention to the standards and knowledge tested in the exam."
The test does have its critics however. Ranii pointed out that the school curriculum, the state standards and the SAT-9 tests are not perfectly aligned as they ideally should be.
"They're not in sync," Ranii said. "Little by little the test is getting aligned with the state standards and little by little the schools are getting more aligned with the state standards."
The results of the SAT-9 test will be used to determine Academic Performance Index score for each school in the state later this year.
The API Index was created last year by the Public Schools Accountability Act, which became law in April 1999. The PSAA serves three purposes: to measure and improve academic performance in California schools with the API ranking; to offer financial support to schools in need of improvement; and to reward improving and high-ranking schools.
Some 7,000 public elementary, middle and high schools in California were given API numbers last year between 200 and 1,000, with a statewide performance target of 800. All Saratoga public schools ranked above 800.
California schools with a score below 800 were given a growth target for next year. School at 800 or above, such as Saratoga schools, are expected to maintain an API above 800.
Each school was also given a statewide rank of one t hrough 10 based on API numbers. All Saratoga schools received the top rank of 10.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
