Almaden Valley Schools API scores show across-the-board growth

2003 is first year to post gains at all area campuses

By Candy Richter

Staff Writer

According to data issued by the California Department of Education on Aug. 24, Almaden Valley schools have posted across-the-board gains in the Academic Performance Index (API) scores over last year's numbers.

Although the majority of the elementary schools' 2002 rankings were in the top echelon of the index –above 800 points–and only required maintenance of their 2002 point levels to achieve their 2003 targets, all of the schools posted double-digit gains, thus exceeding district expectations.

Two notable achievements were Graystone Elementary's 26-point increase, which propelled it from 897 into the 900-point level, and Simonds Elementary, as the point-gain leader, rising 32 points from last year's 857 to 889 in 2003.

At the middle school level, Bret Harte rose 16 points from 859 to 875 and Castellero gained 27 points from 736 to 763.

The high schools, Leland and Pioneer, also posted gains of 13 points and 4 points respectively.

Since 2000, Almaden's schools have shown inconsistent growth, with only two of the campuses–Almaden and Simonds elementaries–posting steady API gains year to year. For some schools, 2003 is the first time since the program's inception in 2000 that they have seen a gain in their API numbers.

“This year approximately two-thirds of our elementary schools have posted gains,” said Karen Fuqua, public relations and community development supervisor for San Jose Unified. “We're very pleased with our schools. Not only those that that have posted continued growth like Simonds and Almaden, but also for those schools that have worked to maintain their high scores.”

According to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, this growth trend has been echoed throughout the state, with approximately 90 percent of California's public schools posting improvements, and 78 percent of the schools meting their API targets.

“This is terrific news,” said O'Connell. “I am very proud of our entire education community and am encouraged by the outstanding progress our schools are making. These scores show that when given clear standards, even if they are rigorous, our students can and will learn the curriculum.”

What is the API?

Born out of the California Public School Accountability Act of 1999, the API is the primary measurement tool used to calculate the academic performance and growth of schools. It is based on a numeric scale ranging from a low of 200 points to a maximum of 1,000 points, with a statewide target goal for each school being a score of 800. A school's growth is measured by how well it is moving toward or past that goal. Annual growth targets are 5 percent of the distance between a school's starting, or base, API score and the target of 800. The minimum growth is one point. Schools at the 800-point target must maintain that level.

What factors make up a school's API score?

In 2003, the state replaced the Stanford 9 (SAT9) with the California Achievement Testing, 6 th Edition (CAT/6) as its student assessment tool. In calculating the API, grades two through eight the CAT/6 results receive 20 percent weight and the California Standards Test (CST), which make up the STAR results, comprise the remaining 80 percent. For grades nine through 11, the CAT/6 receives 12 percent, the CST results receive 73 percent, and the remaining 15 percent is made up of the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE).

How does the API differ from the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) report?

The federal No Child Left Behind, or NCLB, program required that all states adopt an additional indicator for Adequate Yearly Progress. California chose the API as that indicator, yet a school's progress is measured very differently in each of these performance indicators.

To progress on the API, a school must show a gain of at least one point over its 202 score, or have a 2003 API score of at least 560. This is a schoolwide or districtwide score, but doesn't address gains in each of a school's sub groupings.

The AYP score reflects which of a school's significant subgroups have tested at the proficient or above level in the STAR tests. Points are not given for progress. A subgroup either meets the required level or not.

“There are a lot of variables that can affect a benchmark like the AYP”, said Fuqua. The difference of one student in a subgroup can cause a school to be off in the participation category. With the API scores, the focus is on measuring growth and effort; however, both are very important elements in measuring accountability.”

Fuqua explained that in comparing the two measurement tools, the API represents more of the day-to-day efforts and feels more “real” to many of the schools, largely because it has been in use for a few years, compared to the AYP, which was introduced earlier this year.

What happens when a school meets the state's target of 800 points ?

In 2000, the first year of the API, the Governor's Performance Awards budgeted $227 million in monetary awards that were doled out to schools that met the state's target API goal. In 2001, the amount budgeted dropped to $144 million, and currently, with the financial crisis that faces our educational system, no awards funding has been allocated for the API program.

However, the API is an important indicator of a school's academic performance and can be a valuable tool in assessing a school's ability to meet the needs of its population.

For more information on the API scores, visit www.cde.ca.gov , click on the 2002-2003 API Growth Results, and follow the prompts.