Academic scores cause for delight, letdown
By Sylvie Belmond bemond@theacorn.com

Moorpark was one of six Ventura County school districts that scored above the 800 mark on the district-wide Academic Performance Index scores released Tuesday by the California Department of Education.

The state target is 800, and Moorpark Unified posted 811 points.

"We're very pleased," said Anna Merriman, assistant superintendent for the district.

API rankings are based on 2006 student scores on the California Standards Test, the high school exit exam, and the California Achievement Test.

The API index ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000. Individual schools are also ranked on a 1 to 10 scale that compares the performance of each school to all others in the state and to those that have similar educational opportunities and challenges.

"The really important thing for people to look at (in the API results) is whether the schools are growing and making consistent progress," Merriman said.

The latest results reflect solid overall academic gains over the last eight years, but they also demonstrate that an achievement gap still exists between traditionally higherand lowerscoring subgroups of students in the state, said Jack O'Connell, California Schools Superintendent.

Some schools serve more needy subgroups, which are defined by ethnicity, English skills, socioeconomic background and disability status, so it's more difficult for them to achieve top scores, school officials said.

"Even a few children can throw a school into the Program Improvement School category mandated by the state," Merriman said.

Last year, Peach Hill Elementary in Moorpark was targeted for program improvements because students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and English learners at the school didn't meet the target growth rate set by the state.

"It was a bit of an eye opener for us," said Donna Welch, principal at Peach Hill, where about 30 percent of the students represent subgroups with greater challenges.

Peach Hill achieved a 772 API score in 2006, based on 2005 tests. The school was ranked in the 50th percentile compared to similar schools last year, but since then it's made tremendous progress, Merriman said.

This year's API score was 849 and the school ranked in the 90th percentile.

"Both the principal and the teachers need to be complimented for having a razor-sharp focus," Merriman said.

Peach Hill serves about 630 students from kindergarten through fifth grade.

"Testing gives schools good general information and it allows us to set goals, but it isn't the whole snapshot of a child who can show what he or she has learned in other ways," Welch said. Some children are specifically challenged with tests, she said.

To help all students succeed, Peach Hill began to offer more individual programs, using computer software and other available resources.

The school created an afterschool program to help the 100 or so children who need additional support. Pupils also receive extra assistance during the school day.

"We did a lot of different interventions to increase student achievement," said Welch.

Despite the notable progress, Peach Hill will stay on the program improvement list until next year because schools on the list must show higher scores for two continuous years.

Flory Academy of Sciences and Technology and Campus Canyon Elementary each received a 200607 Title I Academic Achievement Award.

The other elementary schools also showed progress.

Middle schools gained in many areas, including English language learner and special education categories. But Mesa Verde, where about 40 percent of the students are designated socioeconomically disadvantaged, still did not meet its federal Adequate Yearly Progress goal.

Moorpark High School also had a setback this year, dropping from 808 to 787 points on the API. Principal Kirk Miyashiro is disappointed that his school didn't achieve the 800 mark, but compared to other schools that serve similar student populations, the school did quite well, he said.

School officials are now working to motivate students for the upcoming testing period, the results of which will comprise next year's API.

"Overall, I want to make sure when our students are pitted against other students in the area, they have a chance to compete," Miyashiro said.

"With this kind of high stakes test, it's always difficult to get students motivated," the principal said. "But it's our school report card, so if students blow the test off, the freshmen and sophomores pay a price for it."

In the highly competitive college environment, universities often look at the API score of an applicant's school when they decide whom to admit. A low API score can have a longterm impact on individual students, Miyashiro said.