A.V. SENIORS PERFORM BETTER ON SATS; IMPROVED SCORES STILL BELOW STATE, NATIONAL AVERAGES : SCHOOL-BY-SCHOOL BREAKDOWN.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Daily News Staff Writer

Graduating seniors from Antelope Valley high schools scored better this year on the Scholastic Assessment Test, but continued to lag behind the state and national averages.

Antelope Valley Union High School District students averaged 485 on verbal skills and 488 in math, according to results released Tuesday. This compares with 1996 scores of 482 and 481, respectively, on verbal and math tests where 800 points per section is the maximum.

``It's hard to pin the increase on any one program or activity,'' said Deputy Superintendent Ray Monti. ``I think SAT scores reflect an overall picture of a student body, as well as programs at the schools, as well as the population that takes the test in any given year.

``We are pleased that, overall, we went up last year more than the state or national increases,'' he said.

Nationally, graduates averaged 505 on the verbal - identical to 1995-96 - and 511 on the math exams for a three-point gain over 1995-96, records show. Statewide, students averaged 496 in verbal and 514 on math, the highest math scores since 1972. California students gained one point in verbal section and three points in math compared to the previous year's results.

For the second straight year, Quartz Hill High School posted the highest average scores in the district. The 198 test-takers scored 500 on the verbal section and 510 on the math. Those compared to 504 in verbal and 502 in math the previous year.

``We have a community of parents who like to encourage kids to look at college as an option. They value education and the SAT as a preparatory experience,'' said Principal Jeff Foster.

Foster also credited aggressive honors and Advance Placement programs at Quartz Hill for helping students perform better.

At Palmdale High School, the 151 students who took the test showed the biggest gains overall. Their verbal scores rose to 475, compared with 456 in 1996. In math, students averaged 485, an increase over the 472 scored in 1996.

``At Palmdale High School and in the district, there has been a real emphasis on reading and providing resources to enhance that,'' said Principal David Vierra. ``When you see an increase in the verbal, it goes cross-curricular. It carries over to other academic areas as well.''

Vierra pointed to a program called LEARN, or Leave Everything and Read Now, in which students spend 10 minutes of the second period every day reading.

At Antelope Valley High School, the 89 students who took the test scored 484 on the verbal test, down from 503 in '96. In math, students scored 478, compared to 486 in 1996.

At Highland High School, where 178 students took the test, verbal scores rose to 478, compared to 475 in 1996. In math, students averaged 484, a jump from 477 last year.

At Littlerock High School, 103 students took the test. Students there scored 484 on the verbal section, up from 465 in 1996. In math, students scored 461, up from 459 in the previous year.

``California SAT takers as a group are, on the whole, different from the nation's. More low-income and minority students take the test in California than nationally,'' State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin said in a written statement.

Female test-takers continue to lag behind their male counterparts. Females scored 493 in verbal, up 1 point from last year. Males scored the same as last year at 499. In math, males scored 536, up 4 from last year, while females scored 497, up 3 from 1996.

VERBAL MATH

SCHOOL '96-97 '95-96 '96-97 '95-96

ANTELOPE VALLEY 484 503 478486

HIGHLAND HIGH 478 475 484 477

LITTLEROCK HIGH 484 465 461 459

PALMDALE HIGH 475 456 485 472

QUARTZ HILL 500 504 510 502

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Chart

Chart: School-by-school breakdown (See text)