Schools show improvement Schools show improvement (September 09, 2005)

Six schools post API scores of 900 or higher

District schools posted higher Academic Performance Index scores in the May 2005 round of testing, according to the report released by The California Department of Education last week. The district had an average API of 877, a 16 point increase over last year's scores.

Six schools in the district received a score of 900 or more, according to the report. During the last testing cycle, only one school, Mohr Elementary School broke 900 points. Fairlands, Hearst, Vintage Hills and Walnut Grove elementary schools joined Mohr this year, all five scoring more than 900 points. Pleasanton Middle School was the only secondary school in the district to break 900.

The API is scored on a scale of 200 to 1,000 with 800 considered "exemplary." Earlier in the year the district reviewed the baseline API scores, which schools are required to improve upon by 5 percent in the following testing cycle. Schools with scores of 800 or more do not have to improve, but must stay above 800. All of Pleasanton's schools had scores of at least 800.

The API is calculated each year by combining scores from the STAR California Standards Tests, California Alternate Performance Assessment, California High School Exit Examination and California Achievement Tests, Sixth Edition. Students took these tests between April and May 2005.

The Board of Trustees will review the scores and a report by James Gulek, director of assessment and evaluation for the district, during a meeting in October. -Rebecca Guyon

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