Ron Bird did a report on the percentage of students proficient in college preparatory math and science courses at Vasquez High School.
The STAR exam is a Statewide Standardized exam for the 8 to 11 grade students and has five grades, which we have converted, in our analysis to A through F, as we traditionally understand grades. Ron considered A and B as proficient in his story. I'm considering D and F as failing in this story.
One issue that needs to be trumpeted is the superb performance of Vasquez High School students in Biology, which well exceeded the State average, Santa Clarita and Antelope Valley scores. I would think one of the reasons is the early involvement of students in 4-H and similar programs.
Its important to note that the high school principal looks down upon and and wants to penalizes the 4-H students. When the union wanted to move the start date of the school for reasons only known to their leaders, the principal at Vasquez High School stated that 4-H students that missed school to show their animals at the AV Fair would be penalized by permanent unexcused absences on their transcripts, but he also stated that he would provide an excused absence for all football players when they missed school due to football related absences. Good new at least for this year the start date remained after the fair.
The test results are appalling, for example, 89% of the 30 students in the 11th grade taking the geometry course failed the STAR exam. The teachers properly graded "on the curve" so most of the students received A, B, and Cs when if fact they failed the state test. Parents can get their kids individual STAR results from the School. Note these individual results are a permanent part of your child's record.
To place well on the entrance exam for a community (junior) colleges you need these math and science courses. What Ron didn't focus on in his story is the number of students in the 9th through 11th grades that didn't even take these college preparatory courses, and of course, did not become proficient in these subjects. For a 4 year college these courses are mandatory
In advanced math, the number of students in Vasquez High (434) that either failed or did not take the course, according to the STAR results ranged from 86% failure for Algebra I to 96% failure for Algebra II. In Chemistry, 91% failed. And in Physics, 100% failed because the school failed to offer the course.
The principal stated at several board meetings that the test results at Vasquez are "fine". He failed to disclose that most of the students did not even take an advanced math or science course. Clearly the actual results are not fine and show the failure of academics at Vasquez High School.
If you are a parent and have kids at Vasquez High School that are going to any post high school education or a 4 year college, you need to immediately run and remove your kids from the school and place them in private schools or home study.
Here is a link to the Computerized Placement Tests (CPTs) you must take for College of the Canyons. The CPTs determine the reading, writing and mathematics courses most appropriate when you enroll, Place low on the test you may have years of remedial classes to take before you can take real college courses.
Its up to the board to immediately fix this problem and replace all l who have caused this disaster.
The data tabulated below is directly from the state STAR test results.
| Course | 9th Grade | 10th Grade | 11th Grade | Total in School | |||||
| Total passed | Failed + did not attempt | % Not attempted or failed | |||||||
| % fail | total class | % fail | total class | % fail | total class | ||||
| Algebra I | 36% | 39 | 65% | 46 | 72% | 31 | 61 | 373 | 86% |
| Geometry | 35% | 17 | 70% | 46 | 89% | 30 | 29 | 405 | 93% |
| Algebra II | 61% | 18 | 86% | 32 | 17 | 417 | 96% | ||
| Chemistry | 26% | 41 | 57% | 32 | 39 | 395 | 91% | ||
| Physics* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 434 | 100% | ||