EDITORIAL ENDURING MEDIOCRITY STUDENTS CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER FOR LAUSD REFORM.

ANOTHER year, another unimpressive return on standardized testing in the Los Angeles Unified School District. STAR results from 2007 are stagnant, showing only minuscule improvement that's more or less aligned with the statewide trends. Meanwhile, the LAUSD lags behind the rest of California.

The good news is that reform appears to be in the offing. The LAUSD has a new superintendent in David Brewer III, who is adamant about not accepting mediocrity. And a new school board has taken office, having ousted its lackadaisical predecessor.

But for LAUSD students and their parents -- and, really, for all of us -- we can't afford to be patient. We need improvements.

The latest test scores show that two-thirds of LAUSD students in nearly all grade levels are not proficient in English language arts or math. Although the scores are promising for lower grades, they decline as the kids get older. That's not even including the thousands of untested dropouts.

Every year we wait for change in one more class of students who will enter college or the work force unprepared. We've got no more time to wait. And the LAUSD's new leaders have their jobs cut out for them.