Las Virgenes API scores push 900

The Las Virgenes Unified School District has exceeded state standards in language and math- ematics, according to the latest re- port released by the California Department of Education.

Every school in the district re- ceived high marks for its Aca- demic Performance Index scores. The API scores are based on a scale of 200 to 1,000, as calcu- lated from student performance on the California Standards Test in English/language arts and mathematics taken in the spring, the California High School Exit Exam, and graduation rates.

The scores are then used to de- termine whether a school has made adequate academic progress.

The Las Virgenes district scored 868 out of a possible 1,000 this year, up five points from last year. All 14 schools in the district met the state's benchmark of a minimum of 800 points, and many scored dramatically higher. "It's the basic report card everyone's concerned about," said Joe Nardo, assistant superin- tendent of education. "These are fantastic results."

White Oak Elementary School in Westlake Village scored 942, which represented a jump of 24 points from the previous year. Nardo said the high score places the school in the top 2 percent of schools statewide.

Three other elementary schools-Yerba Buena, Willow Elementary and Bay Laurel- ranked in the top 4 percent state- wide, while Chaparral Elemen- tary landed in the top 5 percent, Round Meadow in the top 7 per- cent statewide, and Lupin Hill among the top 16 percent in Cali- fornia.

Middle and high schools in the district performed equally well. All three middle schools raised their scores; AC Stelle Middle School landed in the top 5 percent statewide with a score of 893. Lindero Canyon Middle School raised its score to 889, up 13 points from last year. The score puts the school in the top 6 per- cent statewide.

AE Wright Middle School demonstrated the biggest gain on the tests, raising its score by 33 points. The school ranks in the top 7 percent of middle schools in California.

Calabasas High School and Agoura High School ranked in the top 9 percent of schools in the state, with scores of 821 and 820 respectively.

Nardo reported to the school board last week on the district re- sults, but presented additional in- formation in order to place the district's high scores in perspec- tive for board members.

Of the 5,085 elementary schools in California, only 8 per- cent, or 423 schools, received a 900 score or higher. Thirty-five percent of all schools statewide earned scores of 800 or higher. The majority of the elementary schools-65 percent-scored be- low the 800 point benchmark.

Only 46 California middle schools earned a 900 or higher on the test, and 24 percent, or 293 schools, met the mark with scores of 800 or above. But 76 percent of middle schools scored below the target of 800.

High school statistics were more startling. Of the 987 public high schools in California, only 14 achieved 900 or more points on the standardized testing. Just 14 percent, or 141 schools, made the grade with 800 points or more. The remaining 85 percent of schools scored less than 800 points, although Nardo said the statistics improve each year.

"The scores really are outstand- ing," Board President Cindy Iser said.

Board member Terilyn Finders said while the test scores were im- pressive, there are many other ways to measure excellence in local schools.

"I'm very, very proud of Lupin Hill and Sumac Elementary," Find- ers said, referring to the schools' ability to address a wide range of student needs and demands.

Since only 14 of 987 high schools achieved 900 points or more on the tests, board members wondered how these high achiev- ing schools differ from the rest of California schools.

Nardo said that charter, technol- ogy and magnet schools draw a dif- ferent population of students.

The first wave of scores is the first of three sections. In October, schools will receive a rank on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest.

A second score ranks a school in comparison to others with simi- lar characteristics. The similar- schools score is based on charac- teristics such as average class size, student ethnicity, socioeconomic status, percentage of students who are English learners, and percent- age of teachers who are fully cre- dentialed versus those working on an emergency credential.