County Schools Again Outpace State in Tests : Education: Irvine Unified leads 11 other county districts in topping California’s success rate for the advanced placement exams.

Orange County’s 1993 high school graduates once again outperformed the state in advanced placement tests, but in most local districts, passage rates on the exams--in which students earn college credit--slipped from the previous year.

In releasing the data Wednesday, state officials congratulated California public schools for maintaining a two-thirds passage rate while increasing the number of students taking the rigorous tests, and noted that all ethnic groups had improved performances on the exams in the past several years.

Scored on a range from one to five, advanced placement tests are given in 16 subjects, such as calculus, history, English literature and composition, French and Spanish. Scores of three or higher are considered “passing” and count for credit at most of the nation’s colleges and universities.

In Orange County, 71.1% of the tests taken were passed, compared to 65.5% across the state and 62.9% nationwide.

In addition to raw data about tests passed, the state Department of Education also calculates an “AP rate” that factors in the size of each school district and the percentage of students taking the exams. Orange County’s exam rate (40.7%) was nearly double the state average (21.9%) and more than triple the national average (13.5%).

“We are delighted. If the test results have to be reported, it’s nice to be first,” said county schools Supt. John F. Dean. “This to me is visible proof that the students of Orange County, by and large, are interested and eager and ready to perform the extra work that it takes to be involved in AP classes. To me, it’s a real plus for us.”

Students prepare for the exams in special classes, which typically involve college-level course work and more assignments. This year, the state also counted results of the international baccalaureate tests, a program offered in several local high schools through which students earn credit for universities worldwide, in calculating the advanced placement rate.

Three local districts posted rates below the state average: Garden Grove Unified had the lowest rate, 15.1%; Santa Ana Unified had 16.3%, and Anaheim Union had 20%. In all three districts the rate fell from last year’s.

“It’s hard to tell right at this point what might have caused that drop,” said Diane Thomas, spokeswoman for the Santa Ana school district. “One of our really strong goals as we encourage youngsters to be college-bound is to encourage them to get into advanced placement classes. . . . That is a strong focus of ours and we just continually refocus.

“We need to look back at where we started and the growth that has been made since then,” Thomas said, noting that Santa Ana’s “AP rate” was only 6% a decade ago, and that the district has beaten the state average two of the past six years. “That’s a symbol that we have been working hard and we’ve been achieving toward those goals.”

Irvine Unified posted the county’s highest rate, 84.9%, topped by only five school districts throughout California. Irvine also had the highest percentage of seniors, 60.2%, taking the exams; Los Alamitos Unified was the only other local district in which more than half the seniors (50.8%) took the tests.

But in Irvine--as in eight of the county’s 15 school districts with high school students--the percentage of tests resulting in scores of three or more fell, from 82.9% last year to 79.8% this year. Irvine Unified Supt. David E. Brown said he thought the drop is statistically irrelevant.

“It is an impressive number, and we always enjoy the positive indicators of success. When it relates directly to student performance, we get excited,” Brown said. “We focus a lot of attention on AP exams, there’s no question about that, but we make every effort to keep that focus in balance, recognizing that we have an obligation to provide a real quality instruction for every child, not just those in AP classes.”

Analyzing just the number of tests taken, students in Saddleback Unified and Placentia-Yorba Linda fared even better than those in Irvine, posting success rates of 81.6% and 80.9% respectively. In Placentia-Yorba Linda, that success rate was down from 84.7% the year before. (In both districts, about 35% of seniors took one or more of the exams.)

The Fullerton Joint Union High School District made the largest leap in scores this year, improving its rate to 50.7% from 39.1% in 1992.

“We’re very pleased with the current results,” said Ron Anderson, assistant superintendent of the school district. “We have more people taking the test (than previously), and it reflects the commitment we have on the part of our students and staff and community on behalf of academic excellence.”

Los Alamitos Unified had the largest drop in exam’s rate, from 71.8% to 54.2%, but when analyzing the number of tests taken without regard to enrollment or participation, the district’s success rate remained steady, with 70.5% of the tests posting scores of three or better.

Brea-Olinda Unified and Capistrano Unified each had rates eight percentage points lower than last year.

“The only thing I can say about it is that each class is a little different in its makeup and its academic exposure. Some of the classes will have more students who take advanced placement courses than other classes,” said Brea-Olinda Supt. Edgar Z. Seal.

“It’s an important thing for a student to try to accomplish, but quite frankly unless they have the academic background from junior high and the first years of high school you just can’t get the kids to stretch that far,” he said. “You get into a college-level type of a course and some of these kids, mentally they might be ready for something like that, but in terms of academic preparation, they’re just not ready.”

Scores for private schools were not available.

Passing Grades Orange County led California and the nation in the percentage of passing grades for advanced placement exams. In all three areas, though, the percentage dipped slightly from 1992. Passing in 1993: Orange County: 71.1% California 65.5% United States: 62.9% Sources: State Department of Education

Advanced Placement Results

Advanced placement exams are offered in 16 subjects, including calculus, European or American history, Spanish, French, English literature and English composition. The exams are graded on a scale of one to five; grades of three or higher are considered “passing.” How Orange County students fared:

High School Seniors 1993 % Passed Passed AP Success Rate* District (1993) Tested 1992 1993 1992 1993 Anaheim 2,811 18.8% 64.6% 66.2% 20.4% 20.0% Brea-Olinda 323 31.6% 66.4% 65.3% 58.7% 50.2% Capistrano 1,660 39.8% 75.6% 72.4% 61.2% 53.0% Fullerton 1,872 40.7% 66.6% 66.6% 39.1% 50.7% Joint Garden 2,259 16.8% 61.2% 66.6% 16.3% 15.1% Grove Huntington 3,190 32.1% 72.1% 67.3% 40.2% 41.2% Beach Irvine 1,435 60.2% 82.9% 79.8% 82.0% 84.9% Laguna 178 47.8% 72.6% 70.4% 58.0% 56.2% Beach Los 520 50.8% 71.7% 70.5% 71.8% 54.2% Alamitos Newport- 1,027 44.3% 69.7% 66.8% 49.4% 50.2% Mesa Orange 1,348 37.3% 66.7% 68.8% 41.6% 43.4% Placentia- 1,226 35.4% 84.7% 80.9% 50.6% 52.4% Yorba Linda Santa Ana 1,777 21.4% 69.5% 60.5% 20.5% 16.3% Saddleback 1,546 37.3% 81.5% 81.6% 48.2% 50.4% Valley Tustin 690 49.0% 63.3% 65.7% 34.0% 41.9% Orange County 21,862 33.6% 72.5% 71.1% 40.5% 40.7% totals

* The rate, which takes the district’s size and percentage of seniors taking the exams into account, is derived by dividing the number of passed tests by the total number of students in the senior class.

Source: State Department of Education