PVPUSD Test Scores Hold Steady

Standardized test scores for students in Los Angeles County and around the state dipped just slightly compared to last year; however, those in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District held steady for the most part, the state Department of Education announced Thursday.

Eighty-six percent of PVPUSD students scored advanced or proficient in English—the same percentage as last year. In mathematics, 78.6 percent were advanced or proficient, compared to 78 percent last year.

The percentage of students scoring advanced or proficient in history increased from 79.8 percent last year to 80.9 percent this year. The percentage of students scoring advanced or proficient on the science California Standards Test decreased slightly from 90.2 last year to 89.8 this year, while the percentage of high-performing students on the end-of-course science test increased from 76.3 last year to 76.7 this year.

Of the nearly 1.1 million students countywide who took the examinations in the spring, 54.1 percent scored advanced or proficient in English. Last year, 54.4 percent scored in those categories.

In mathematics, 49.6 percent scored advanced or proficient, a slight bump from 49.4 percent last year.

Nearly 4.7 million students around California took the tests during the last school year.

In English, 56.4 percent were advanced or proficient, down from 57.2 percent last year. In math, 51.2 percent were advanced or proficient, compared to 51.5 percent in 2012.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson blamed the slip on continued budget cuts for education and a switch to new standards known as "Common Core," which are designed to align education goals nationwide.

"As you would expect for a school system in transition, results varied from grade to grade, subject to subject and school to school, but the big picture is one of remarkable resilience despite the challenges," Torlakson said.

"While we all want to see California's progress continue, these results show that in the midst of change and uncertainty, teachers and schools kept their focus on students and learning," he said. "That's a testament to the depth of their commitment to their students and the future of our state."

Even with the dip, the results still reflect a marked improvement over a decade ago, when only about one-third of students were scoring advanced or proficient in tests, he said.

—City News Service, with additional reporting by Patch editor Nicole Mooradian.