Students in Davis County schools outperformed their cohorts statewide on the Stanford Achievement Test this year and scored exceptionally high on science questions.
But fifth-graders did not break a trend disturbing to district leaders - 22 percent of the county's elementary schools scored below expected ranges.Most that scored below ranges, which are based on a school population's socioeconomic status, have high rates of turnover. But at least four of the schools have relatively low turnover.
"We've asked our curriculum staff to meet with those schools and help determine why they scored lower than expected," said Superintendent Rich Kendell. "We're not being heavy-handed about it but we need some an-swers."
Only one of the district's 46 elementary schools scored above its expected range.
For four years, all Utah fifth-, eighth- and 11th-graders have taken the test as a basis for comparing how well they perform in relation to a national group. The results are used to develop a statewide "report card."
Davis students in all three grade levels scored on average four to six points better than their peers statewide on science questions.
Administrators credit teacher training and technology initiatives that have become models for other schools throughout the state.
Overall, leaders warn that SAT results aren't the only way to measure a student's progress and, in fact, aren't the best way.
"These numbers are only giving us comparisons on a large scale . . . they were never designed for comparisons between teachers, between schools or between school districts," said Steve Cottrell, director of the district's math programs.
Most would prefer a "portfolio-based" evaluation, says David Steele, who is director of evaluation and a state legislator.
A portfolio evaluation looks at a student's class selections, work samples, grades and test scores, not just SAT scores.
But that kind of evaluation is much more expensive than the state-mandated SAT. "That's one of the reasons the Legislature went with the SAT," he said.
Still, he and most other administrators would like more money from the state for such evaluation. "It would be worth the expense in the long run because we're building a student's future."
Administrators will use this year's scores to correlate elementary and secondary education and assist in textbook selection.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
SAT results: DAVIS SCHOOL DISTRICT
SCHOOL TOTAL BATTERY
1991 1992 1993 CHANGE 1993 EXPECTED RANGE
FIFTH GRADE
Adams 66 64 69 +5 52-77
Adelaide 66 61 61 0 45-69
Antelope 35 35 26 -9 32-55
Boulton 45 67 58 -9 48-73
Bountiful 67 56 63 +7 47-72
Burton 53 61 67 +6 51-76
Centerville 61 64 56 -8 46-70
Clinton 33 54 39 -15 46-71
Columbia 55 60 66 +6 50-74
Cook 44 50 62 +12 44-69
Crestview 44 36 44 +8 38-62
Doxey 47 44 41 -3 40-64
East Layton 68 63 55 -8 51-76
Farmington 58 60 56 -4 50-74
Fremont 46 46 46 0 40-63
Hill Field 44 46 46 0 41-66
Holbrook 53 66 59 -7 45-69
Holt 44 39 53 +14 44-68
Kaysville 56 55 56 +1 45-70
King 55 44 39 -5 44-69
Knowlton 64 64 69 +5 51-76
Layton 47 41 53 +12 44-68
Lincoln 41 40 45 +5 37-60
Meadowbrook 33 36 38 +2 37-61
Monte Vista 64 67 59 +8 47-72
Morgan 64 63 62 -1 50-74
Muir 61 62 66 +4 51-76
Oak Hills 62 53 55 +2 51-76
Orchard 53 53 50 -3 40-64
Reading 53 64 67 +3 51-76
S. Clearfield 44 25 29 +4 35-58
S. Weber 47 41 46 +5 48-73
Stewart 58 59 60 +1 51-76
Sunset 37 40 32 -8 38-62
Syracuse 35 44 36 -8 47-72
Taylor 52 55 58 +3 47-72
Tolman 61 62 67 +5 47-72
Vae View 36 40 39 -1 40-63
Valley View 66 79 72 -7 50-75
Wasatch 31 22 27 +5 27-48
Washington 66 74 64* -10 39-63
W. Bountiful 36 55 50 -5 46-71
W. Clinton 48 32 37 +5 44-69
W. Point 50 46 46 0 50-74
Whitesides 33 41 46 +5 36-59
Woods Cross 53 62 50 -12 46-70
Total Fifth Grade 55 54 55 +1 50-66
EIGHTH GRADE
Bountiful 55 51 57 +6 43-63
Centerville 57 59 62 +3 47-68
Central Davis 48 53 49 -4 43-64
Farmington 61 65 63 -2 48-69
Kaysville 64 68 67 -1 47-67
Millcreek 56 59 60 +1 43-64
Mueller Park 61 65 64 -1 48-70
N. Davis 44 36 38 +2 39-59
N. Layton 45 50 49 -1 43-64
S. Davis 53 55 50 -5 43-64
Sunset 49 50 45 -5 43-64
Syracuse 53 49 48 -1 44-65
Total Eighth Grade 55 55 54 -1 48-62
ELEVENTH GRADE
Bountiful 70 63 68* +5 50-67
Clearfield 48 47 51 +4 47-65
Davis 65 67 66 -1 50-67
Layton 52 51 52 +1 48-66
Northridge N/A 53 51 -2 47-65
Viewmont 61 61 61 0 50-68
Woods Cross 57 62 64 +2 48-66
Total Eleventh Grade 57 58 58 0 51-64
*Above expected range