School test scores improve

School test scores improve
Marin IJ - Aug 31, 2006
By Rob Rogers

Summary:

The troubled Sausalito Marin City District saw API gains in all three of its schools, with Bayside Elementary's score rising 59 points to 782

Complete Story:

Several Marin schools made significant gains in the state's academic rankings.

Most Marin schools and districts continue to rank well above the state average in Academic Performance Index scores, released today by the California Department of Education.

"I'm impressed that we have so many high-achieving schools," said Mary Buttler, assistant superintendent of schools for Marin County. "At least 62 percent of our schools are listed above 800, and 65 percent of our districts were at 800 or above.

"To see where we are is amazing."

The API is a numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000 and is based on the results of statewide exams, such as the California Standards Test and high school exit exams. The average API score for California schools rose 11 points this year to 720.

Novato's Rancho Elementary School continues to hold the county's highest ranking, rising 10 points to 957.

But several schools throughout Marin saw a dramatic upsurge in their scores. In Larkspur, Neil Cummins Elementary rose 30 points to a score of 918. In San Rafael, Coleman Elementary climbed 51 points to 826. And in Novato, Hamilton Elementary School saw its API ranking rise 47 points to 819.

"We've seen a change in our demographics," said Hamilton Principal Ruthanne Bexton. "When I arrived here three years ago, we had 42 English learner students. This year we had 155. We've focused on giving all our students added support, but provided additional aid to those who are not English speakers. We've also had English programs for parents at night, so that they can learn the language skills they need to help their children with their homework."

The troubled Sausalito Marin City District saw API gains in all three of its schools, with Bayside Elementary's score rising 59 points to 782. And San Rafael's San Pedro Elementary school's 26-point climb to 909 lifted the school out of the "Program Improvement" needed category.

However, the city's James B. Davidson Middlle School will enter its fourth year of Program Improvement despite a five-point increase in its API rank.

And the Lagunitas School District continues to suffer from low participation in state exams required by federal law.

"That's a district where parental choice has been respected, and where the board of education supports a parent's right to choose whether their child will take the tests," Buttler said.

To view API information for schools, districts, counties and the state, visit the Web at www.cde.ca.gov/apr.

Contact Rob Rogers via e-mail at rrogers@marinij.com

Trustees to get update on oral history project - Aug 23, 2006 Marin IJ Staff Report

Article Launched: 08/23/2006 07:39:16 AM PDT

Trustees to get update on oral history project
Staff Report


An update of a Marin City oral history project will be presented to the Sausalito Marin City School Board at 7 p.m. Thursday at district headquarters at 630 Nevada St.
The project involves gathering the recollections of Marin City residents who have lived there since the community was founded during World War II.

The Marin City oral history project is sponsored by the Bay Area Discovery Museum, Performing Stars of Marin and the Manzanita Child Development Center.

County schools get facelifts - Marin IJ - July 22, 2006 - Reporter Nancy Isles Nation

County schools get facelifts
Mairn IJ - August 22, 2006
Nancy Isles Nation

Summary:

Sausalito Marin City: The board recently approved the issuance of $15.9 million in bonds to build a new middle school in Marin City and renovate the Bayside Elementary School in Sausalito. Construction will be financed by a bond measure passed in 2004. Income the district receives under lease agreements with Sausalito will provide an additional $1.3 million for the project, bringing the total to $17.9 million.

Portable classrooms have been moved onto the campus of Bayside to house kindergarten through second-grade students during the renovation, which will be completed by summer 2007.

Complete Story:

Many students returning to Marin schools this week and next will find classrooms and buildings looking better than ever.

School districts have been modernizing campuses, largely with voter-approved bonds and a few government grants, for the past half-dozen years.

"The work that has been done in the schools in our community over the last period of time is phenomenal," said Mary Jane Burke, superintendent of Marin County schools. "This is a tribute to the hard work of the schools and our community to ensure that our children are being educated in environments that are conducive to learning."

Burke said facilities had deteriorated prior to the passage of bond measures.

"Just a few years ago, we found we had ourselves in a position that we had the most dilapidated facilities anywhere," Burke said. "Now we can say our schools are the best in the country."

Here's a look at what's happening across the county:

- Dixie School District: Almost all of the work slated under Dixie's $10 million bond approved by voters five years ago is finished, so this summer's work was minimal, said Superintendent Tom Lohwasser.

The sports field at Miller Creek School was rehabilitated and carpet and tile were replaced in classrooms at all four Dixie schools.

A lighting project was completed with Pacific Gas and Electric Co. at Dixie

Work progress at Bahia Vista School in San Rafael seen in this view from 60 feet up. (IJ photo/Frankie Frost)
School this summer, and a safety path was installed connecting the back of Mary Silveira School to the neighborhood.

- Novato Unified School District: Novato might have been the biggest spender for school improvements this summer.

The district spent $20 million for contracts alone for back-to-school upgrades. The money comes from a $107 million bond passed by voters in 2001.

While each of the district's schools had work done, the major modernization projects were at Hamilton, Olive, Pleasant Valley, San Ramon, San Jose, Sinaloa, Novato and San Marin schools. Improvements included updated classrooms with new cabinets, floors and ceilings.

San Jose Middle School's library and music rooms were modernized. New lockers are being installed at Novato and San Marin high schools and will be ready a few weeks after school starts, according to John Silvestrini, director of facilities, maintenance and operations.

San Ramon School is being completely renovated and some classes will be assigned to portable buildings during construction.

- Lagunitas School District: Both the Lagunitas and San Geronimo Valley schools had new roofs installed this summer. The work was paid for with a state grant and cost $585,000, according to Superintendent Craig Lee.

- Larkspur School District: With about $3.7 million left from the district's 2000 bond measure, Larkspur School District built a new wing at Hall Middle School. Eight new classrooms and several restrooms will help expand the school from a grade six-to-eight middle school to a grade five-to-eight school. The new wing was approved by the district's board in spring 2005.

Superintendent Valerie Pitts said the construction will be completed when students return to school Aug. 29. "There will be no interruption to student instruction time," Pitts said.

- Reed Union School District: For the first time, students at Del Mar School will have a full-size gymnasium. The $6.9 million gym was funded with bonds approved by voters in November 2005. In addition, the bonds paid for upgrades to the athletic fields and science labs.

Prior construction work in the district was financed by a $39 million bond approved in 2001, according to Christine Carter, Reed superintendent.

- Ross School District: The district didn't complete any big projects this summer. Instead, officials are beginning a $15 million renovation paid for by a bond measure approved in June.

- Ross Valley School District: Two classrooms were renovated at Manor School in Fairfax in June.

- San Rafael City Schools: Students will return to an all-new Bahia Vista School when they arrive Wednesday. The new school consists of two, two-story buildings that will accommodate 450 students. Facilities include 20 kindergarten-through-fifth-grade classrooms, a library, technology lab, work room, family center and classroom space for Head Start and Even Start programs. There also is a teachers' lounge and a multipurpose building with kitchen. The campus includes three playground structures.

At Davidson Middle School, the administration building was expanded and classrooms were modernized in 2005-06. Finishing touches were completed this summer.

A synthetic track and artificial turf football field is being installed at Terra Linda High School.

Final improvements will begin this fall at the Hayes Performing Arts Theater at San Rafael High. At Madrone Continuation High School, work is scheduled to begin in the fall and include improvements to the kitchen and cafeteria.

Venetia Valley School, the old Gallinas School, will celebrate its new name and its modernized facilities with a ceremony Sept. 8.

- Sausalito Marin City: The board recently approved the issuance of $15.9 million in bonds to build a new middle school in Marin City and renovate the Bayside Elementary School in Sausalito. Construction will be financed by a bond measure passed in 2004. Income the district receives under lease agreements with Sausalito will provide an additional $1.3 million for the project, bringing the total to $17.9 million.

Portable classrooms have been moved onto the campus of Bayside to house kindergarten through second-grade students during the renovation, which will be completed by summer 2007.

- Tamalpais Union High School District: Work this summer was financed by the district's 2001 bond of $121 million, along with state funds for a total of $140 million. A second $80 million bond approved by voters this year will pay for future projects.

Tamalpais High School will open its new Daniel Caldwell Performing Arts Center later in the year. The 175-seat theater will have a flexible performance space suited for teaching drama, said Sarah Schoening, acting director of facilities modernization. The facility will feature a grid for lighting 20 feet above the stage. Computerized lighting and sound mixing will be installed along with a digitized projection system. "It's just going to be stunning," she said.

Officials are excited about the new construction of Keyser Hall at Tamalpais, scheduled this spring.

In addition, Tamalpais, Redwood and Sir Francis Drake High Schools will get new 25-by-40 meter swimming pools. Construction will begin next summer.

Educators hail test scores for Marin schools - Marin IJ - August 16, 2006 by Reporter Rob Rogers

Educators hail test scores for Marin schools

Marin IJ
by Reporter Rob Rogers

Marin officials are hailing modest improvements in state STAR test scores for schools and districts throughout the county. "It's amazing that in districts and schools that were already performing at high levels, we're still seeing growth," said Mary Jane Burke, county superintendent of schools.

The state released the results of its 2006 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program Tuesday. The report showed slight increases in student scores statewide, with the levels of students at the proficient or advanced level in English growing by 5 percent and in mathematics by 2 percent in the past year.

"It is now clear that after almost 10 years of standards-based reform, including four years of complete alignment between our standards and our tests, education in California is clearly making meaningful, sustained improvement," said Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of public instruction.

While overall scores across Marin remain largely the same, school officials are touting achievements in particular schools that have made substantial improvements.

In San Rafael's Coleman Elementary School, for example, third-graders boosted their percentage of at- or above-proficiency scores in English from 29 to 54 percent, and in math from 42 to 73 percent.

"I'm pleasantly surprised by the results at Coleman, where we've seen tremendous growth," said San Rafael schools chief Laura Alvarenga. "We're still processing all of the data, but at a glance, Glenwood is doing well and Sun Valley is doing extremely well. Some schools are bringing their students up to grade level while others are showing considerable improvement."

Students at Bayside Elementary School in the Sausalito Marin City District achieved something even more dramatic. While the school itself received one of the county's lowest Academic Performance Index ratings last year, the 2006 STAR results showed that 100 percent of Bayside's 11 fourth-graders scored at or above proficiency in mathematics.

"As a district, we were impressed with the results," said Superintendent Debra Bradley. "We've seen some substantial improvement, especially in the second and fourth grades. Those scores reflect the work that has been done by some dedicated teachers. We need to engage all of our students and provide those kinds of opportunities to all of our children."

More than 4.7 million students participated in the STAR program, which includes the California Standards Test (CST), the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA), the California Achievement Test (CAT/6) and the new Aprenda: La preuba de logros en espanol, Tercera edicion (Aprenda-3), a national standards test in Spanish.

Students achieve one of five levels of performance on the CST for each subject: advanced, proficient, basic, below basic or far below basic. All students in grades 2-11 take English/language arts exams. Those in grades 2-9 take mathematics exams, while those in grades 5, 8 and 10 take science tests. Students in grade 8 take a world history exam, while high school sophomores are tested in U.S. history.

As expected, most Marin schools continued to perform well above the statewide average. In English, for example, fourth-grade Marin students met or exceeded proficiency 75 percent of the time, while the state average was 25 percent. In mathematics, Marin fifth-graders reached or surpassed proficiency 70 percent of the time, in contrast to a 48 percent state average.

"If the schools are going to take credit for the successes of these students, it's only in combination with the support of the whole community," Burke said. "They've supported the schools through the work they've done with foundations, parent-teacher associations, parcel taxes and in other ways. We've received exceptional public support."

Districts with high percentages of affluent, English-fluent students continued to shine, while those with large numbers of disadvantaged students or English learners reported lower scores.

"The achievement gap persists between African American students, Latino students or socio-economically disadvantaged students and their white or Asian peers," O'Connell said.

Fifth-grade English learners in Marin, for example, scored at or above proficiency 17 percent of the time on the English exam and 29 percent of the time on the math exam. Marin students fluent in English, on the other hand, reached or exceeded proficiency 78 percent of the time in English and 76 percent of the time in math.

Alvarenga said that contrast helps explain the difference in scores between students at San Rafael High - where 47 percent of high school freshmen achieved or exceeded proficiency in English - and nearby Terra Linda High, where 65 percent did.

"The population of two of our high schools is entirely different," she said. "We have an extremely large number of language learners at San Rafael High. But the fluent-English speakers at San Rafael performed similarly to those at Terra Linda."

Throughout the county, third-grade students considered "non-economically disadvantaged" scored at or above proficiency 72 percent of the time in English and 79 percent of the time in math, while those considered "economically disadvantaged" scored 22 percent and 46 percent, respectively.

At Ross Elementary School, where 301 out of 305 students who participated in the STAR program were considered "non-economically disadvantaged," students captured the county's highest scores in English for fifth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students and in mathematics for sixth- and seventh-grade students. Seventy-five percent of Ross third-graders achieved proficiency or higher in English, while 93 percent did so in math.

At Bayside Elementary, where 65 out of 71 participating students were listed as "economically disadvantaged," only 14 percent of third-graders were proficient or higher in English, and only 65 percent reached that goal in math.

Tuesday's CST scores are considered preliminary, because some school districts have not yet completed testing or reviewed their test results. The state will post a more complete record of the scores in October and a final version in December.

Contact Rob Rogers via e-mail at rrogers@marinij.com

Article Launched: 08/16/2006 12:48:00 AM PDT

Filing extended in key Marin races - Marin IJ - August 12, 2006 by Richard Halstead

Filing extended in key Marin races
Marin IJ
Reporter Richard Halstead

.....No one has taken out papers for two openings on the Sausalito City Council. Only incumbent Dennis Scremin has filed. Incumbent Ronald Albert decided not to run.

The stage is set, however, for the Sausalito/Marin City School District board race. The three full-term incumbents- Whitney Hoyt, George Stratigos and Shirley Thornton -will compete against Mark Trotter and Peter Romanowsky.

Trotter was appointed to the board in the summer of 2004 but failed in his bid for election in November 2004. Romanowsky is a Sausalito salvager who has run for numerous county offices over the years.

Robert Fisher, who was appointed to the board last year, is running to serve out the final two years the term. He is being challenged by Elizabeth Todd-Gallardo, a Realtor with L&L Property Management in Sausalito. Fisher is scheduled for trial in October on charges that he failed to make child support payments. ......

Article Launched: 08/12/2006 02:21:00 AM PDT