Parents Air Concerns Over Test Score Drop

Concerns over falling test scores at Springbrook Elementary School brought more than 100 parents to a school board meeting this week, and most said they believe the school is taking their concerns seriously.

More than 100 parents signed a petition to school Principal Patricia Mulhaupt that raises concerns about lower test scores, student discipline and the teaching of basic skills.

The school’s most recent California Test of Basic Skills indicates what Mulhaupt calls a “significant” decline in language arts scores for third-graders. Both third- and sixth-grade scores were lower in language and reading, she said.

“We had already begun to work on these issues prior to hearing from our parent community,” Mulhaupt said. “We have begun a whole series of activities this spring to address our parents’ concerns.”

Parents at the Tuesday night school board meeting complained about unchecked behavior problems from some of the school’s disabled students and a weak program for gifted students.

Parent Steven Sunshine, a former Springbrook PTA president, said some parents have had to hire tutors to make up for a lack of basic academic skills.

“It’s not working at Springbrook School; it’s broken,” Sunshine said. “The easiest thing to do is to take it out on the teachers who are trying so hard, but I think that this has been a slow deterioration that has occurred over a period of years.”

Parent Tom Searles said small adjustments will not be enough.

“In short, we will require real and substantive change at Springbrook,” Searles told the school board. “We will not leave the process until this has been accomplished.”

Mulhaupt said she will meet with parents on June 6 to review the school’s new improvement plan.