O'Connell Press Release on API Results

[George Sheridan <learn@jps.net>]

http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr06/yr06rel27.asp


SUPERINTENDENT O'CONNELL RELEASES 2005 API BASE
RESULTS, GROWTH TARGETS, SCHOOL RANKINGS

SACRAMENTO ? State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell 
today released the 2005 Academic Performance Index (API) base results, 
growth targets, and school rankings for more than 8,700 eligible California 
schools.

"California schools continue to make solid academic gains," O?Connell said. 
"The API is a powerful tool to hold our schools accountable for progress. I 
encourage parents, students, educators, and the public to review the API 
ranking for schools in their community."

The data released today show California schools at every level are making 
steady progress toward reaching the statewide performance target of 800 ? 
part of API?s numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 
1000. The percentage increase in high schools scoring above the 800 mark 
outpaced middle and elementary schools in 2005.

"I am particularly pleased to see that our focus on high schools is paying 
dividends," O?Connell said. "I believe the California High School Exit Exam 
has been a key driver of progress as our students concentrate on learning 
the standards. It has also resulted in more focused instruction and 
individualized attention for struggling students. We still have a long way 
to go to improve our high schools, but I applaud the rate of improvement 
and hope that we can increase the pace."

High schools posted a 68.6 percent increase in the percentage of high 
schools meeting or exceeding the benchmark of 800. Elementary and middle 
schools show impressive gains of nearly 20 percent. (See Table E.)

The percentage of the state?s elementary schools at or above 800 is 31.6 
percent, up from 26.4 percent a year ago; middle schools is 20.7 percent, 
up from 17.3 percent; and high schools is at 11.8 percent, up from 7.0 
percent (see Table A).

Median scores for schools have also increased, showing steady improvement. 
The 2005 median API Base for elementary schools is 750, up 20 points from 
2004 (See Table B). Middle school and high school median scores show 
similar gains of 17 points and 25 points respectively (See Tables C and D).

Schools are expected to meet their annual API growth targets during the 
2006 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) and California High School 
Exit Exam (CAHSEE) examinations. The growth target for a school is 5 
percent of the difference between a school's API Base and the statewide 
performance target of 800.

School API rankings released today allow the public to compare progress at 
an individual school compared to others statewide.

Schools are ranked academically on a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the 
highest) to determine a school's standing compared to other schools 
statewide (statewide ranks) and to schools with similar characteristics 
(similar schools ranks). In the calculation of similar schools ranks a 
dozen demographic variables are evaluated to identify schools with similar 
educational challenges.

It is important to note that there will always be schools ranked 1 and 
schools ranked 10 because of the nature of the decile system. Ten percent 
of schools will always be in each decile. However, the range of scores 
included in each decile has increased steadily over time.

For example, an API score of 638 in 1999 would place an elementary school 
above the median and in statewide rank 6. That same API score of 638 in 
2005 would place a school in the bottom statewide rank 1.

"This illustrates how our schools are advancing as a whole. A respectable 
score earned in 1999 would not be cause for celebration today because of 
the steady rise in scores overall," said O?Connell.

In January, the State Board of Education (SBE) adopted the addition of six 
new characteristics for use in similar schools ranking calculations. The 
six new characteristics were adopted to improve the accuracy of the similar 
schools ranking methodology. (No new data collections were needed to 
incorporate the new characteristics.) For more information, please refer to 
the 2005 API Base Information Guide, mid-Page 41 
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap/documents/infoguide05b.pdf (PDF; 985KB; 93pp.).

The API reports school performance on student assessments that are a part 
of the STAR program, plus results from the CAHSEE. There are no new 
assessments added to the 2005 API Base.

 However, two new API subgroups were adopted by the SBE in order to meet 
the requirements of Senate Bill 722 and to align the API subgroup 
definition with that of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB). These two new 
subgroups, English learners and students with disabilities, will be 
required to demonstrate comparable improvement in the same way as other 
subgroups.

The 2005 API Base results, growth targets, and school rankings are posted 
at: Academic Performance Index (API), http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap/index.asp


George Sheridan