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Schools

Majority of Public State Schools Meet Academic Targets for First Time

Elementary, middle and high schools show significant academic growth among all student groups across the state.

Despite major budget cuts over the past several years, public schools across the state are showing signigicant signs of academic improvement.

Yesterday, State Superintendent Tom Torlakson announced that for the first time, a majority of California's public schools either met or surpassed the statewide target for academic achievement on the 2012 Academic Performance Index (API).

Specifically, 53 percent of schools scored at or above the state target of 800—an increase of 4 percent since last year.

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Ten years ago, only 20 percent of schools met or surpassed the API target, according to the Superintendent. 

 “We’ve set a high bar for schools and they have more than met the challenge, despite the enormous obstacles that years of budget cuts have put in their way,” Torlakson said in a prepared statement.

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“The incredible efforts of teachers, administrators, school employees, parents, and students should serve as an inspiration to us all. While there’s still more work to do, California’s schools have earned a vote of confidence,” said Torlakson.

Fifty-nine percent of elementary schools, 49 percent of middle schools, and 30 percent of high schools are now meeting the state benchmark, which is based on a numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000.

According to Torlakson, these number signify a continuing trend of improvement, and a ten point average increase for 2012 to the current score of 788.

The improvements are showing in all groups of students, too.

African American students and students with disabilities realized the largest gains, with an increase of 14 points for each student group to 710 and 607 respectively. Latino students and English learners also showed 11 and 10-point increases to 740 and 716, respectively.

Asian and white students made smaller gains of 7 and 8 points, but still hold the highest API totals among student groups, of 905 and 853 respectively. 

Elementary schools statewide showed a 7-point growth in API to 815, middle schools showed a 14-point increase to 792, and high schools an 11-point increase to 752. 

Superintendant Torlakson also unveiled a new online accountability tool for schools: the School Quality Snapshot. Created by the California Department of Education, the database lets parents and public view a variety of academic results and school performance information for public school across the state.

The reports are the first step in how the Department and the State Board of Education are planning to use data to inform the public about the progress of California schools, as they reshape the School Accountability Report Card and revise the Academic Performance Index as required by the Senate Bill 1458. 

The CDE also released the results for the federal school accountability measures created under No Child Left Behind: Adequate Yearly Progress and Program Improvement.

“California’s request for a waiver from the requirements of NCLB is still pending,” Torlakson noted. “While we’re waiting for the flexibility we need, we’re not going to allow a flawed system to distract us from the work we’re doing to help schools improve.”

 All results can be found on the CDE Accountability Progress Reporting Web page.

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