Although Cambridge students score below the national average on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the city was chosen as having America's "best school committee," the National Education Association (NEA) announced publicly last week.

"The Cambridge school committee is just one of many school boards throughout the country that is setting education policy in a way that supports teachers and other school staff," states a report in the January/February issue of NEA Today.

"Cambridge school committee members focus their efforts on a rational review of policy issues. They resist the temptation to get bogged down in personalities-or the quick-fix school reform proposals trumpeted by ambitious states and national politicians," continues the report by the NEA, which is the nation's largest teachers' union.

Students' scores on national tests had no bearing on the NEA's decision of best school committee, according to the report.

"If you judge a school department on how students do on a test, you're not judging fairly. You can't go by SAT results. You go by what effort is made by the people," said Cambridge's Deputy Superintendent of Schools Joseph G. Sateriale.

He added that one of the reasons the local average SAT score falls below the national average by 75 points is that all local students are allowed to take the exams.

Local scores could easily be raised if only top students were allowed to take the test, said Sateriale. "[However,] the best thing to do is to give every youngster a chance."

Sateriale, who has worked in the Cambridge school system for 35 years said that the present school board, composed of six publicly elected members and the mayor, has several outstanding features.

The Cambridge school committee is "the least political committee I've worked with in my 20 years of administration in this city," said Sateriale.

Sateriale called the group "nicely balanced" because it contains several minority members, including three women, one Black, and one Hispanic.

"They represent Cambridge in every way," he said.

Sateriale also praised the school board for acting "responsibly" when voting on important issues.

The board is now participating in a nation-wide search to replace many local school administrators who plan to retire, he said.

The members, honored by the NEA in San Francisco on Saturday, were still in California yesterday for the National School Board's Annual Convention and could not be reached.

On the committee are Mayor Walter J. Sullivan, who is the chairman, vice chairman Jane F. Sullivan (who is in no relation to the mayor), Frances C. Cooper, Alfred B. Fantini, Sara O. Garcia, Timothy J. Toomey Jr. and Larry Weinstein.