Database optimization & clean up

We have designed a PHP/mySQL database for online SAT and ACT-type testing and reporting. We now need to optimize the database to make it more efficient (for example, we need to add filters in for various types of reports). We need to clean up the filters for some of the existing reports (for example, one report only calculates 205 students and then ignores any additional students over 205 in the group).

I am uploading the running list of known optimization items (in a word doc).