September 7, 2007

Evergreen Schools’ API scores average steady to higher

High school scores trending upward

By Carol Rosen
Staff Writer

Like public schools throughout California, Academic Performance Index scores at Evergreen’s schools were about level to slightly higher, with Evergreen Valley and Silver Creek High Schools both showing substantial score improvements, up 24 and 27 points, respectively, from last year.

The API is a numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1000. The 2006 results established the current baseline and academic growth targets for each school's academic performance. A school's school-wide annual growth target is set at 5 percent of the difference between the school's base API and the statewide performance target of 800 with a minimum target of 5 points. By law, numerically significant student subgroups within a school must also make improvement for a school to meet its API targets

“A cursory review of the initial API and AYP (academic yearly progress) indicates that we continue to meet all AYP benchmarks and I’m very pleased reading the API,” said Evergreen Elementary School District Superintendent Clif Black. “Our results mirror the state of California in that we have made gains in some areas, leveled off in some areas and slipped in some areas. We will certainly be refocusing our attention and resources to maximize student results.”

Some of the district’s schools scores reflected level to slightly higher gains from 2006. For example, Matsumoto’s scores were just three points higher at 950, up from 947 last year. At the same time, the three middle schools in the district—Chaboya, LeyVa and Quimby Oak—were all lower, with Chaboya dropping only four points to 840, down from 844, and Quimby Oak dropping 24 points to 794, down from 818 a year ago.

“When the school is at the 950 level, it can maintain its scores, but we don’t expect to see tremendous jumps,” said Kathy Gomez, the district’s Director of Educational Services. “Periodically we will see drops [in their scores], and then we will see them come up. We watch those schools to see if it’s a trend or an aberration.”

“Over time, these tests are important because they let us know how our students are doing and how our instructional program is progressing,” Gomez said.

However, “the tests are just one measure [of students’ progress], and as a district we also have other assessments that we use to determine how our students are doing,” she added.

Local high schools, which are in the East Side Union High School District, showed strong gains for the most part. Evergreen Valley climbed 24 points to 827 in 2007, up from 803 in 2006. Silver Creek grew 27 points to 745, up from 718 a year ago. Mt. Pleasant on the other hand, stayed level, once again posting a score of 689, the same as 2006. High Schools typically have not shown such strong gains.

Some performance indicators for the entire state in the APR (accountability progress reports) indicate modest growth, while others show no change, or even a slight decrease. For example, the median API score grew from 745 last year to 751 in 2007, and the percentage of schools at or above the performance target of 800 grew by only 1 percentage point, from 30 to 31 percent. The percentage of schools meeting all API targets decreased from 53 percent in 2005-06 to 45 percent in 2006-07.

The slower progress on meeting state accountability targets was also anticipated because of an increase in accountability targets for all statistically significant subgroups that took effect for the first time this year, according to the State Department of Education. In addition to making the overall school growth target, all numerically significant subgroups in a school must now also make a 5 percent or 5-point gain, whichever is larger. The increase in student subgroup targets was a recommendation by Jack O'Connell, the State’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, that was adopted by the State Board of Education in May 2006, allowing schools to focus more intensely on narrowing achievement gaps.

"Holding all students to the same high standards ensures a culture of high expectations for everyone," said O'Connell. "Now we are holding our schools accountable for closing achievement gaps. As a state, we have a moral, ethical, and economic obligation to address the needs of every group of students. My administration is focused on finding gap-closing strategies. I know our schools share my deep concern about this problem and join me in facing this challenge.”

"It is important that we not lose sight of the significant gains that our students and our schools have made, nor should we misinterpret these current data as a decline in overall student or school performance. In particular, these results reflect significant achievement gains by our lowest-performing students, and significant gains by African American, Hispanic, and English learner subgroups,” he said.

"However, it is clear that we will need to redouble our efforts if we are to attain our goal to prepare all students for success in the rapidly changing global economy. We should also use this data to bolster our efforts to address the achievement gap that exists between students who are African American or Latino and their peers who are white or Asian," O’Connell added.

Above is a listing of scores of schools in both the Evergreen Elementary School District and East Side Union High School District.