Manouchehri Counters BHHS Decline Claims With Rising Test Scores

In a video addressing Beverly Hills High School's rankings, BHUSD Board President Judy Manouchehri challenged the claim that a falling metro ranking proves students' academic results are declining today. Her response points to a consequential gap in the election debate: the newest ranking does not include the school's newer test results.

California's published assessment records support a central part of her argument. BHHS posted higher English and math proficiency in 2024-25 than in 2023-24. U.S. News & World Report says its current rankings use data from the earlier school year.

Manouchehri's written statement accompanying the video describes the distinction directly:

"The current U.S. News ranking relies primarily on 2023–24 school-year data. It does not yet reflect the gains BHHS made in 2024–25 or the further gains reported by the district for 2025–26."

The ranking publisher's August 18 announcement confirms that the 2026-2027 rankings use data from the 2023-2024 school year. The year on a ranking release therefore does not identify the year students produced the results behind it.

That distinction changes what voters can reasonably conclude from the chart circulating in the school board race. A declining ranking can raise legitimate questions about the school's earlier performance relative to other schools. It cannot establish that English and math results continued declining in years the ranking has not measured.

The California assessment records provide the comparison. In 2023-24, 61.73% of BHHS students met or exceeded the English language arts standard, and 48.20% met or exceeded the math standard. In 2024-25, those shares increased to 67.27% in English and 52.14% in math.

Those are gains of 5.54 percentage points in English and 3.94 points in math. They measure a higher share of tested students meeting the standards, rather than an improvement in the school's position on a metro ranking.

Manouchehri's accompanying statement reports further increases for 2025-26, to 74.70% in English and 60.31% in math. Using those reported figures, the changes since 2023-24 are 12.97 percentage points in English and 12.11 points in math, matching the arithmetic in her statement.

The figures concern Beverly Hills High School. They should not be presented as proficiency rates for the entire district. Comparisons across annual testing groups also do not establish how much the same individual students improved.

Manouchehri acknowledged that a ranking has a place in the discussion:

"A metro ranking compares BHHS with other schools and combines several measures. It is worth examining, but it cannot tell the whole story of what is happening in our classrooms now."

U.S. News uses six performance indicators, covering state assessments, graduation, college readiness and other measures. A school can raise its own scores while its ranking remains lower if other schools improve more or its performance on other indicators changes. The score gains do not erase the ranking, and the ranking does not erase the score gains.

The chart also marks its 2020, 2022 and 2023 ranking points with asterisks identifying them as estimates. Its presentation joins those estimates to later figures in one continuous line. Voters deserve that distinction alongside the dates of the underlying data.

The district's recent account of student opportunities extends beyond test scores. In its June report on the strategic plan and accountability plan, BHUSD described expanded college counseling, elementary tutoring and science curriculum work. It also reported that the share of students earning at least a 3 on Advanced Placement exams increased from 84% to 88%.

In an August campus update, the district documented the reopening of K.L. Peters Auditorium, Salter Family Theatre and the Grand Lawn, along with new tennis courts, a softball field and classroom and performance spaces. Those developments describe specific opportunities and facilities available to students, rather than a conclusion drawn from a ranking alone.

Manouchehri also highlighted leadership changes in her accompanying statement, listing one new superintendent, four new principals and six new assistant principals. Those are her reported counts. Personnel changes alone do not establish that instruction improved or that a transition was seamless.

Her statement linked accountability to recognition of student and teacher progress:

"I believe in accountability, including an honest look at where we still need to improve. Our teachers and students have earned an equally honest account of their progress."

The published results leave substantial work ahead. In 2024-25, 32.73% of tested BHHS students did not meet the English standard, and 47.86% did not meet the math standard. Those students belong in the accountability discussion alongside the gains.

The evidence supports a more specific account than a simple story of continuing decline: BHHS proficiency increased in the published 2024-25 results, and those gains fall outside the current ranking's data period. Candidates defending or challenging the district's record owe voters comparisons that acknowledge both the progress and the remaining needs.

Disclosure: Beverly Hills Standard owner Russell Stuart serves on the BHUSD Board of Education with Manouchehri.