NEWS
SAT scores well above state average
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Amador gains nearly 3%; Foothill drops .05% BY GLENN WOHLTMANN
SAT scores rose last year for five of eight local high schools with the percentage of area scores over 1500 — a state benchmark — climbing. Amador Valley High School scores of 1500 or higher went from 76.60% to 79.38%. Foothill High dropped by .05%, from 80.61% to 80.56%. Scores are generally trending up for students at Tri-Valley high schools taking the SATs, formerly known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test, according to state figures. In 2010, the last year for which numbers are available, five of eight local high schools showed improvement over 2009. All were at least 10 points higher than the statewide average, according to Matt Taylor, who is with the state education department’s evaluation, research and analysis unit. Taylor said California uses 1500
as its benchmark because in the past the median score on each of the three parts of the exam has been approximately 500, for a total score of 1500. “Each year that median changes based on the population of test takers, but we continue to report the score of 1500 because it makes for a nice benchmark,� Taylor explained. He said the state average of scores 1500 or higher is 50.7%. In the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, San Ramon Valley High School in Danville climbed by more than 10%, from 76.47% to 86.98%, and California High School in San Ramon jumped about 3%, from 71.69% to 74.70%. Other schools with slight improvements were Granada High in Livermore, up about 1% from 69.12% to 70.25%, and Dublin High, with an increase of .26% from 61.64% of students with a score of
1500 or greater to 61.90%. Monte Vista High School in Danville also dropped, also by less than 1%, from 86.16 to 85.54. Livermore High School showed the steepest loss, dropping almost 4% from 69.01% in 2009 to 65.13 last year. Nearly 79% of students at Dougherty Valley High in San Ramon scored above 1500 in 2010, the first year seniors took the SATs. Although most districts offer home schooling on a formal or informal basis, only one, Venture Alternative School, in the San Ramon Valley district, had students that passed the state benchmark score, with 71.43% of seniors at Venture scoring 1500 or greater. None of the continuation high schools had a significant number of seniors who scored 1500 or higher. The 2010 scores were released by the state earlier this month. N
Designer outlets break ground on El Charro Shopping center should open in November 2012 Making a Splash Emma and Tyler Loll read the Pleasanton Weekly while having some fun on the Pelican Plunge waterslide at Disney’s private Bahamian island, “Castaway Cay!� while on the cruise ship Disney Wonder with their mother, Grace, in August 2010. The Disney Wonder sailed out of Port Canaveral, Fla.
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BY DOLORES FOX CIARDELLI
Ground is being broken today for a shopping center of 120 upscale outlets in west Livermore that will include Barney’s New York Outlet, Neiman Marcus Last Call and Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH. It is expected to bring 2,000 jobs to the area. The 543,000-square-foot center is being developed by Paragon Outlet Partners of Baltimore, which is planning it as a shopping destination for the entire Bay Area. “The addition of this world-class outlet shopping center will generate significant revenue and bring
much needed jobs to Livermore,� said Livermore Mayor Marshall Kamena. “The outlet center is also a vital part of strengthening our ability to attract tourists to the area.� The outlets, located on I-580 at the El Charro exit in Livermore, near the Pleasanton border, are scheduled to open in November 2012. The property is 64% committed with merchants including Banana Republic Factory Store, Barney’s New York Outlet, Cole Haan Company Store, J.Crew, Michael Kors, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Nike Factory Store, Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH and Tommy Hilfiger.
“It is our mission to create welltenanted outlet centers that offer shoppers access to a collection of the world’s leading designer and brand-names,� said Robert Brvenik of Paragon Outlet Partners. “Not only will Paragon Outlets Livermore become one of the region’s most popular shopping destinations for both local consumers and its tourist base, but a property that will also bring more than 2,000 jobs to the region, as well.� The groundbreaking is taking place at 10 a.m. today with Kamena, Brvenik and Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty. N
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Page 6ĂŠUĂŠAugust 26, 2011ĂŠUĂŠPleasanton Weekly
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