Students in local school districts performed well on the tests in the state’s 2005 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program, according to preliminary results released Monday.
Patty Boettcher, assistant superintendent for instructional services in the Los Altos School District, said Monday that district staff have not had an opportunity to analyze the state data yet. However, the scores for 2005 are consistent with those of previous years and even show a slight increase.
“Since Los Altos School District has been the top district in the state for six years, continuing with that level of student achievement is very satisfying,” she said.
The Town Crier was unable to reach officials of other local districts or Bullis Charter School by press time.
On the California Standards Test, one of the battery of exams that make up STAR, in LASD, 53 percent of second- and third-grade students scored advanced in English-language arts, and 75 percent of fourth-graders, 67 percent of fifth-graders, 63 percent of sixth-graders, 57 percent of seventh-graders and 60 percent of eighth-graders did so. Only 1-4 percent of students in each grade scored below basic, and 1-3 percent far below basic. The great majority of LASD students achieved advanced scores in mathematics, as well. The number of students tested ranged from 400 to 483 in English-language arts and from 400 to 455 in math.
Students of Bullis Charter School received their first scores since their school’s founding. In English-language arts, 42 percent of second-graders achieved an advanced rating, and 52 percent of third-graders, 93 percent of fourth-graders and 76 percent of fifth-graders did so. In math, 76 percent of charter school second-graders, 74 percent of third-graders, 73 percent of fourth-graders and 66 percent of fifth-graders did so. All students were tested. Class sizes ranged from 7 students in sixth grade to 38 in fifth grade. Fifteen students comprised the fourth-grade class. No student scored below the basic level.
According to the State Department of Education, 40 percent of students statewide scored at the proficient or advanced level in English-language arts, an increase of 5 percent over last year. Performance in mathematics increased 4 percent over last year, with 38 percent of students statewide scoring at the proficient or advanced level. Since the testing began in 2001, California students have improved by 9 percent in English-language arts and 6 percent in math.
All students in grades two through 11 in California public schools participate in the STAR Program, which also includes national norm-referenced tests, the California Achievement Tests, Sixth Edition Survey (CAT/6 Survey), that measure general knowledge and skills in reading, language, spelling and mathematics.
A few school districts have not yet completed testing. A second posting of preliminary results that will include all students tested is scheduled for October. Final results, after local corrections are incorporated, are scheduled for posting during December.
