By Kathleen Acuff
Despite camping at other schools and breaking in a new instruction superintendent in 2002-2003, local schools have once again captured the No. 1 rankings and surpassed the state’s goal on the Academic Performance Index (API).
The last academic year was the fourth for which the state issued API growth reports and the fourth in which Los Altos School District (LASD) elementary schools exceeded their targets for growth in academic performance. All LASD schools scored higher than 800 on a scale of 1,000 points. Egan and Blach middle schools led state junior highs, taking first and second place, respectively.
“We are proud of the tremendous accomplishment of all of the schools in the Los Altos School District. Our schools continue to rank in the top percentage of schools in the state,” said Patricia Boettcher, assistant superintendent for instruction. “The consistently high districtwide student performance reflects the merging of a strong and well-articulated instructional program, excellent teachers, principals who are skilled as instructional leaders, eager and capable learners, and supportive parents.”
The district itself scored 939 points, making it the top-performing school district in the state for the fourth consecutive year. Scores for individual elementary schools ranged from 932 to 954.
“The narrow range of the scores speaks to the strength of the district program,” said Marge Gratiot, superintendent of schools.
The state calculated each school’s base API and growth index from the results of the California standards tests for English and language arts, mathematics, and history and social science. These tests are part of the state’s Standardized Testing and Reporting program, better-known as STAR. Results of the California Achievement Test, Sixth Edition Survey, also part of STAR, were included in the calculations with a decreased weight.
Unfunded awards
Santa Rita Elementary School and both middle schools are eligible for Governor’s Performance Awards, discretionary money that winning schools use for such expenditures as staff development, field trips, instructional materials, classroom equipment, and supplies. To be eligible for an award, a school must have improved its base score by at least 5 points schoolwide and by at least 4 points for each subgroup of significant size.
The California API Web site shows the last apportionment for Governor’s Performance Awards to have been sent to the State Controller’s Office on Oct. 28, 2002. That apportionment was to pay the second half of “the award of approximately $40 per student who received a valid test score on both the Stanford 9 and the California Standards Tests” in the academic year 2000-2001.
The latest information available from the Web site is dated Oct. 30, 2002, and states that growth awards for the 2001-2002 academic year “are not funded” and “may be included in the 03-04 budget.” Mary Chenier, the state’s consultant for the awards, was unavailable for comment at press time. However, LASD’s Boettcher confirmed that the state did not fund the awards for 2003-2004.
“Whether or not they receive monetary awards from the state, staffs at each school should be commended for this outstanding achievement,” she added.
