Test Scores

What is the biggest issue facing the school district? I believe the biggest issue facing the school district is declaring the district's 15 acres on the Bolsa Chica Mesa as surplus property. As you are aware, the Wildlife Conservation Board successfully completed a preliminary agreement with Hearthside Homes to purchase 103 acres of the Bolsa Chica Mesa for $65 million. The board approved the acquisition of the 103 acres to be added to the Department of Fish and Game's Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve for the protection of upland wildlife habitat at its Aug. 12 meeting.

Andrew Edwards A new round of test scores released by the California Department of Education on Monday show almost all Surf City schools are improving their marks. The Annual Yearly Progress report is used to measure compliance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The report evaluates schools on performance on the Standardized Testing and Reporting test, the California High School Exit Examination, English and math proficiency and on updated statewide Academic Performance Index scores, also released Monday.

Clayton D. King A few months ago I received a "Dear Neighbor" letter/flier from the superintendent of the Huntington Beach Union High School District. This week, I received a similar message from the principal of Edison High School. I'm sure I will receive the same message from the teachers' union in the near future. They are all a pitch for the school bond measure on the March ballot. I'd like to take a minute and address the points they raise. 1. Some schools in the district are more than 35 years old and are thus badly in need of certain repairs.

Kris O'Donnell School administrators in Huntington Beach whose students consistently score higher on SATs than the average pupil in the nation and state hope this year is no exception. Recently released scores on the standardized test showed the national average for the verbal and math portions of the test were up by three points each, but are still lower than last year's averages from the area high schools. "Based on [2002] scores, we are ahead of both the state and national averages for the combined SAT scores," said Edison High School Principal Cynthia Clark.

RACE FOR HUNTINGTON BEACH UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT Name: Sallie E. Dashiell Age: 50 Occupation: Speech pathologist consultant Family: Sarah, 15, and Lillie, 12. Community activities: Currently serving on the Governing Board of Trustees for the Huntington Beach Union High School District. Education: Bachelor's from Georgetown University; master's from George Washington University. Favorite leader: Jesus of Nazareth. Contact information: (714)

RACE FOR HUNTINGTON BEACH UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT Name: Andrew Scott Patterson Age: 25 Occupation: Businessman, Auto Insurance Specialist Family: Fiancee, parents and sister. Community activities: Volunteer mentor at the Orange County Juvenile Hall; associate member of the Huntington Harbor Republican Women's Federation; volunteered in voter registration for Latin American Voters of America and registered voters for the Republican Party of Orange County; interned with Congressmen Ed Royce between 1998-99 and participated in breast cancer awareness by sponsoring annual fund-raisers.

RACE FOR HUNTINGTON BEACH UNION HIGH SCHOLL DISTRICT Name: Rosemary Saylor Age: 50 Occupation: Businesswoman/teacher Family: Husband of 26 years, David; sons Douglas and Robin; daughter Kristina Community activities: Huntington Beach High School PTSA executive vice-president; Band Booster volunteer; site council member; charter member of American Artists of Chinese Brush Painting; member of American Assn....

RACE FOR OCEAN VIEW SCHOOL DISTRICT Name: Debbie Cotton Age: 34 Occupation: Attorney/homemaker Family: Married with a son (daughter on the way) Community activities: Women's Jail Project, 2000-01; Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), since 1999; CHOC Sponsorship Council, since 2000; Public Law Center, since 1997; Stay in School Program, since 1998 and Orangewood Volunteer Day Education: Bachelor's from UC Irvine; doctorate from Western State University College of Law; wholesale exemption certificate from California State Board of Pharmacy; certificate in mediation from The Mediation Center; admitted to practice law in the state of California by the California Supreme Court Favorite leader: Ronald Reagan, although President George W. Bush is pretty much tied COTTON ON: Student safety I think education is the key. The parents, students and staff of each school need to be communicated with and informed on any potential and/or actual situations that exist.

I have some good news and some bad news. Students -- after this spring you will no longer be made to take the Stanford 9 test. As I've heard over and over, that test has been the bane of your educational career for the last five years, that dreaded downer that demands concentration when all you want to do is go enjoy the beautiful weather and waves. Now, it will be no more. Alas, you are not off the hook. In it's place educators will administer the California Achievement Test, sixth edition.