Nearly 50 percent of California schools met or exceeded the state’s Academic Performance Index target, announced State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.
In total, 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. The proportion of schools rose 3 percentage points from last year, making their target goals.
The API is a numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000 and is an index model that measures improvement in student achievement from one year to the next.
This news comes even though the federal No Child Left Behind formula threatened to label 913 newly identified campuses as failing. API scores showed continued improvement across the board, with statewide growth of 11 points.
Both accountability systems are based upon results from the statewide Standardized Testing and Reporting Program, which showed nine consecutive years of rising scores among California students, and from the California High School Exit Examination.
“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.
