By Kathleen Acuff
Although most local teens are faring well, Hispanic and Title 1 students are lagging from 10 to 25 percent behind the highest performers in several core subjects, according to the 2004-2005 progress reports released by Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District staff last week.
Superintendent Rich Fischer said Monday, “When a significant percentage of students who are underachieving are represented by one ethnic group, the discussion of our methods for working with those students must include a conversation about ethnicity. … Each school has also designed initiatives to assist underachieving students as the result of such conversations.”
In an open discussion of the problem and its possible solutions, Keith Moody, acting principal of Mountain View High School, asked, “Can we address the problem without anyone having to take the hit?” He suggested that several years and special funding might be needed to figure out which programs could make the difference.
Fischer noted that the district has already invested substantially in such research by spending $50,000 per school per year for three years to determine how best to teach algebra to students previously unsuccessful in math. This effort began last year; the Algebra Academy is one component of it. The district has already received a return on its investment: Students who participated in the academy, implemented over the summer, raised their grades in that subject by one grade point, Moody said.
All groups of students at Mountain View High improved their Annual Performance Index (API) scores and completed
a-g courses required for admission to California colleges. The school scored more than 800 API points and achieved Adequate Yearly Progress. However, SAT I scores declined for all groups in language and math. SAT II scores rose in biology, chemistry and math IIC but fell in all other subjects. Results of the California High School Exit Exam show a need for improvement among Hispanics, the economically disadvantaged, special education students and English learners.
Los Altos High’s API results increased overall for Asians, Caucasians and disadvantaged students. API scores for Hispanics fell, and neither Hispanics nor disadvantaged students met the AYP requirement of 590. SAT I scores in math and language increased for all groups, with Hispanics making notable progress. SAT II scores improved in all subjects except biology. The a-g course completion rate improved for all groups, especially Hispanics, who improved by 13 percent. First-time passing rates for the high school exit exam were 87 percent for English/language arts and 92 percent for math.
