Marin schools mostly shine in state tests - Marin IJ - Sept 1, 2006 - By Rob Rogers

Marin schools mostly shine in state testsMarin IJ - September 1, 2006
Reporter - Rob Rogers

Summary

The Sausalito Marin City School District, despite having the county's largest percentage of disadvantaged students, saw API gains in all three of its schools, with Bayside Elementary's score rising 59 points to 782.

"These test results are the latest in a series of milestones in our ongoing struggle for academic achievement," said Superintendent Debra Bradley. "Our academic performance has been truly exemplary, meeting all of API and" Average Yearly Progress criteria.

Complete Story:

Several Marin schools made significant gains in the state's academic rankings, thanks in part to steady progress by the county's English-language learners.
Most Marin schools and districts continue to rank well above the state average in Academic Performance Index scores released Thursday 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."

However, Davidson Middle School in San Rafael faces increasingly tough sanctions based on its slow rate of progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The school will enter its fourth year of "program improvement" despite a five-point rise in its API score, from 735 to 740. Under federal law, the school will be required to seek an alternate method of governance, which could include reopening as a charter school, replacing the principal and most of the staff, or asking the state or another outside entity to take over management of the school.

School officials could not be reached for comment Thursday, but the district issued a prepared statement from Rebecca Rosales, associate superintendent of curriculum for San Rafael City Schools.

"We will continue to support Davidson students by expanding intervention programs and support services ... and by providing tutorial services in a variety of after-school settings," she said. "It is our intent to provide whatever support is needed to help every student meet and exceed the designated academic standards for their grade level."

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 state standardized 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. Marin's school districts have an average score of 874.

The scores "show that California schools are making steady progress in raising student achievement, but that we must continue to focus on closing the achievement gap," said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.

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 surge in their scores. In Larkspur, Neil Cummins Elementary rose 30 points to 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."

This year, for the first time, state law requires schools to show improvements in the test scores of English learners and students with disabilities to achieve their API growth target.

O'Connell cited the inclusion of those students as one reason why only 52 percent of the state's schools met their API growth targets this year, a decline from last year's 68 percent.

"While every one of the subgroups of students has made significant gains, I remain deeply troubled by the lagging achievement of both our English learners and African-American students," O'Connell said. "We can't afford to allow this gap in achievement to continue."

The Sausalito Marin City School District, despite having the county's largest percentage of disadvantaged students, saw API gains in all three of its schools, with Bayside Elementary's score rising 59 points to 782.

"These test results are the latest in a series of milestones in our ongoing struggle for academic achievement," said Superintendent Debra Bradley. "Our academic performance has been truly exemplary, meeting all of API and" Average Yearly Progress criteria.

San Rafael's San Pedro Elementary school's 26-point climb to 909 brought the school out of "program improvement," a designation applied to schools that fail to meet federal progress goals for two consecutive years.

"We're ecstatic," said San Pedro Principal Kathryn Gibney. "We were expecting our ranking to rise by seven, but it almost tripled, at 19. This validates the hard work everyone is doing here."

During the past year, the school introduced an intensive literacy program for language learners, focusing on both reading and oral expression, Gibney said.

"Getting out of program improvement is a huge accomplishment in itself," Gibney said. "We've done a lot of fabulous work, but we've also suffered the demoralizing effect of that stigma."

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

Photo:

ON THE RISE: Sue Bennett teaches reading skills to Josh Horcasitas and others at Hamilton Elementary School in Novato. The school's ranking in the Academic Performance Index rose 47 points. IJ photo/Frankie Frost