Cedarcreek Elementary was the big winner in the Saugus Union School District with an individual API score of 845, which is not the highest API but showed an astounding 60 percent increase over last year’s API. This year, Cedarcreek will step from the shadow of the Program Improvement (PI) status under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). NCLB requires schools that receive federal Title I funds and do not make Annual Yearly Progress criteria for two consecutive years to be identified for Program Improvement. Under PI status parents were allowed to remove their children from the school if they chose to do so.

Below are the API rankings for all schools in alphabetical order, followed by the 2010-2011 growth measure: (2010-2011 growth measure is the increase or decline in API score from the previous year’s API score.)

Bridgeport Elementary 929        -5

Cedarcreek Elementary 845        60

Charles Helmers Elementary 911        -4

Emblem Elementary 849       -25

Highlands Elementary 823       10

James Foster Elementary 871       12

Mountainview Elementary 910         6

North Park Elementary 869      -15

Plum Canyon Elementary 875        11

Rio Vista Elementary 832        32

Rosedell Elementary 859       -13

Santa Clarita Elementary 844       -19

Skyblue Mesa Elementary 804       -12

Tesoro del Valle Elementary 919         20

West Creek Academy 929        n/a

While all of the schools met their growth targets schoolwide, Emblem, Highlands, North Park, Rosedell, Santa Clarita, and Skyblue did not meet their targets for all subgroups. Subgroups are defined as Black or African-American, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, White, English Learners, Students with Disabilities, and the Socio-economically Disadvantaged.

CASTAIC UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT

Northlake Hills Elementary topped the district with the highest score among elementary schools.

Below are the API rankings for all schools in alphabetical order, followed by the 2010-2011 growth measure: (2010-2011 growth measure is the increase or decline in API score from the previous year’s API score.)

Elementary Schools

Castaic Elementary 854      -8

Live Oak Elementary 827      14

Northlake Hills Elementary 869      -2

Middle Schools

Castaic Middle 838        8

All of the elementary schools met their growth targets schoolwide and in subgroups. Subgroups are defined as Black or African-American, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, White, English Learners, Students with Disabilities, and the Socio-economically Disadvantaged. Castaic Middle school met growth targets schoolwide, but not in subgroups.

SULPHUR SPRINGS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT

Canyon Springs Elementary showed the highest growth with a remarkable improvement of over 25 percent. Three schools showed double-digit losses.

Here are the API rankings for all schools in alphabetical order, followed by the 2010-2011 growth measure: (2010-2011 growth measure is the increase or decline in API score from the previous year’s API score.)

Elementary Schools

Canyon Springs Community Elementary 779        27

Fair Oaks Ranch Community 850          0

Golden Oak Community 887      -16

Leona H. Cox Community Elementary 798      -11

Mint Canyon Community Elementary 773      -19

Mitchell Community Elementary 855        -4

Pinetree Community Elementary 840         6

Sulphur Springs Community Elementary 866         6

Valley View Elementary 808       17

Leona H. Cox and Mint Canyon did not meet their growth targets either statewide or in subgroups. While Mitchell and Valley View met their growth targets statewide, they did not meet them for the subgroups. Canyon Springs, Fair Oaks Ranch, Golden Oak, Pinetree, Sulphur Springs met statewide targets and subgroups. Subgroups are defined as Black or African-American, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, White, English Learners, Students with Disabilities, and the Socio-economically Disadvantaged.

WILLIAM S. HART UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT

The William S. Hart Union School District has the most unique combination of range of student ages and styles of programs. Of the traditional high schools Canyon nearly doubled the growth of the other schools with a growth score of 27 points. Among middle schools Rio Norte Junior High far exceeded the growth of the other schools.

The district’s highest API was achieved by the Academy of the Canyons Middle College High School, which scored an API of 941.  The Academy is a school of approximately 400 students grades 9 – 12, located on the campus of College of the Canyons.

Bowman High School, an award-winning continuation school in the alternative model school category, acheived an API gain of 122 points.

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), the federal accountability system, is determined by a districts or schools progress toward meeting the No Child Left Behind goal that 100 percent of its students score proficient or better in English-language arts and math by 2014. This year, the Hart School District met 33 of its 42 AYP targets.

The AYP target scores rose significantly this year as the AYP requirements push upward toward the goal of 100 percent proficient. Placerita Junior High, Canyon High School, Hart High School, Academy of the Canyons and Learning Post met 100% of their AYP goals. Overall, 72.2 percent of Hart District students scored proficient in English-language arts and 66.2 percent proficient for mathematics.

“Our students have shown excellent growth overall, and our subgroups have also shown progress, but we can do more,” said David LeBarron, director of curriculum and assessment.

LeBarron noted that the school sites have developed strong, research based intervention programs for students and special education faculty has aligned its curriculum to the state standards in a drive to better serve their students with special needs.

He said the continual growth in the district’s API scores and its ability to meet most of its AYP targets does not happen automatically.

“It is the result of our teachers, support staff, and administrators working very hard to assess, evaluate and improve their instruction and our students’ performance. Their work, combined with the support we receive from our parents and community, is the core of a school culture that is focused on meeting the academic needs of all of its students,” LeBarron said.

Below are the API rankings for all schools in alphabetical order, followed by the 2010-2011 growth measure: (2010-2011 growth measure is the increase or decline in API score from the previous year’s API score.)

Elementary Schools

Santa Clarita Valley International 790  -20

Middle Schools

Albert Einstein Academy for Letters, Art 908   N/A

Arroyo Seco Junior High 834     1

La Mesa Junior High 800    -2

Placerita Junior High 876      3

Rancho Pico Junior High 901    -1

Rio Norte Junior High 898    14

Sierra Vista Junior High 809   -11

High Schools

Academy of the Canyons 941     12

Canyon High 805     27

Golden Valley High 773     13

Opportunities for Learning-Santa Clarita 707       4

Saugus High 820       8

Valencia High 849       9

West Ranch High 853       0

William S. Hart Senior High 833     14

Small Schools

Learning Post High (Alternative) 828      43

Sequoia Charter 545      -34

ASAM Schools

Bowman (Jereann) High (Continuation) 759    122

Mission View Public 636       7

Santa Clarita Valley International Elementary met their growth targets for subgroups but not school wide.

Sierra Vista, Rancho Pico, La Mesa, and Arroyo Seco met growth targets school wide but not for subgroups.

Opportunities for Learning did not meet school wide or subgroup growth targets. Golden Valley, Saugus, Valencia and West Ranch met school wide growth targets, but not subgroups growth targets. Subgroups are defined as Black or African-American, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, White, English Learners, Students with Disabilities, and the Socio-economically Disadvantaged.

The 2011 Growth API is based on the performance of individual students on the following tests administered in spring 2011:

• California English-Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics Standards Tests (CSTs) in ELA and mathematics – grades two through eleven
• California Science Standards Test (CST) in science – grades five, eight, and nine through eleven
• California Life Science Standards Test (CST) in life science – grade ten
• California History-Social Science Standards Test (CST) in history-social science – grades eight through eleven
• California Modified Assessment (CMA) in ELA, mathematics, and science:
• ELA – grades three through nine
• Mathematics – grades three through seven, Algebra I
• Science – grades five and eight, Life Science–grade 10
• California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA) in ELA, mathematics, and science:
• ELA – grades two through eleven
• Mathematics – grades two through eleven
• Science – grades five, eight, and ten
• CAHSEE in ELA and mathematics – grade ten (and grades eleven and twelve if the student retook and passed either part of the CAHSEE)

For a more nuanced look at the Academic Performance Index reports click here.

STATE WIDE NUMBERS

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said a record 49 percent of California schools met or exceeded the state’s Academic Performance Index (API) target, even as the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) formula threatened to label 913 newly identified campuses as failing.

In all, 55 percent of elementary schools, 43 percent of middle schools and 28 percent of high schools met or surpassed the state API target of 800, with the proportion of schools making the target rising 3 percentage points from last year, from 46 percent to 49 percent.

“I applaud the hard work our students, teachers, parents, school employees and administrators are doing to improve—even in the face of severe cuts to school funding,” Torlakson said. “At school after school, and among every significant ethnic group, California’s students are performing better than ever.”

API scores showed continued improvement across the board, with statewide growth of 11 points, propelled by a 14-point gain among English learners and Hispanic students and a 10-point gain among African American students. Asian and white students posted smaller gains of 8 and 7 points, respectively.

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), the federal NCLB target for students scoring at or above proficiency, increased 11 percentage points this year. It is slated to continue rising until 100 percent of students will be expected to be proficient in 2013-14.

Using this yardstick, 35 percent of elementary schools, 18 percent of middle schools and 41 percent of high schools met their AYP targets for 2011. The results represent a decline in the proportion of schools meeting AYP targets from the previous year of 5 percentage points, 8 percentage points, and 1 percentage point, respectively.

NCLB requires schools, school districts, and county offices of education that receive federal Title I funds and do not make AYP criteria for two consecutive years to be identified for Program Improvement (PI).