Many Schools Fail to Hit Test Score Targets Test Scores Improve, but Not Enough Less than one third of California's public schools met the state's long-term target score on the Academic Performance Index, bringing renewed attention to a stubborn achievement gap that could lead to changes in the state's annual evaluation of schools. Sixty-eight percent of state schools that posted results -- 69 percent in Santa Clara County -- did meet short-term growth goals on API scores released Thursday. But state officials want all schools to score at least 800 on a scale that ranges from 200 to 1,000. Only 28 percent of schools statewide reached that level, though that was the highest percentage ever. Students who seem to be stuck at the lower end of the achievement gap -- English-learners, the poor and other groups that traditionally struggle with standardized tests -- generally scored hundreds of points less on average than the overall population, even though they too showed some gains. So while schools in general are moving in the right direction, ``The fact remains we still have an unacceptable achievement gap,'' said state schools chief Jack O'Connell. O'Connell said one plan being considered is setting higher API growth goals for struggling groups, pushing them to boost performance more quickly. Any such fundamental changes would require legislation. API scores are a distillation of results from the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program, or STAR. The California High School Exit Exam also figures into high school API scores. The achievement gap is particularly pronounced among schools in diverse Silicon Valley, where campuses in Palo Alto, Cupertino and Los Altos perennially post some of the state's highest API scores. For instance, Faria Elementary in Cupertino scored 999, and Milliken Elementary in Santa Clara scored 998. Both schools scored a perfect 1,000 in last year's report. Almond Elementary in Los Altos scored 967, up from 959 last year. Bullis Charter School in Los Altos Hills scored 973 after its first year of operation. Meanwhile, schools with large populations of English-learners and students from poor families are looking for new ways to raise test scores. In San Jose Unified, teaching staffs at schools across the 30,000-student district have mined testing data to discover where their students are weak, which students are struggling, and where they stand to make the most gains. Pioneer High School math teacher Lori Ventura held lunch-time tutorials and after school sessions for students who needed extra help with advanced fractions or quadratic equations. The 45-minute sessions were offered two and three times a week, and the welcoming, open-door policy usually drew about 20 students. Ventura said English-learners face the greatest challenges. ``They are struggling to comprehend what I'm saying in class, and then struggling to learn the math concepts,'' Ventura said. But the extra efforts paid off: Pioneer's overall API score rose, and the high school also met growth targets for all of its subgroups. ``The key is making the connection between students and teachers,'' said Pioneer High School Principal Sandy Engel. In Palo Alto Unified, principals and teachers meet three times a year to discuss how each student is doing and what extra help they need. Particular attention is given to students who are members of under-represented minorities, have special needs or are learning English, said Bill Garrison, director of assessment and evaluation. He credits the ``kid-by-kid'' program for the gains the district made this year: scores for African-American students rose 33 points and socioeconomically disadvantaged students saw their scores go up 26 points. In contrast, all other subgroups posted only single-digit gains. Still, big gaps remain. Average scores for African-American, Latino and disadvantaged students were nearly 200 points lower than the district average of 903. Dale Russell, standards and assessment director for the Santa Clara County Office of Education, said his office already provides school districts with support and professional development. With the achievement gap on everyone's mind, it is refocusing on those efforts, he said. The office also will provide each district -- and ultimately each school -- with a detailed analysis of how the school has scored on the API since its inception in 1999. Thursday's scores take into account only about 6,800 of the state's more than 9,000 schools. The state excluded alternative schools -- about 450 -- and others that were having difficulties arriving at final tallies, including several from East Side Union School District in San Jose. |
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