Local schools have an edge

Oak Park and Las Virgenes schools are at the top of their game once again. From the San Fernando Valley north to Santa Barbara County, these local school districts scored highest in this year's API (Academic Performance Index) rankings, the California Department of Education's measure of student achievement.

Oak Park had a top score of 891, almost 100 points higher than the state's benchmark goal of 800. Las Virgenes schools compiled an 876. We have reports on both school districts beginning on page 1.

The success of the local schools comes as no surprise. As a rule, API scores are directly correlated to the socioeconomic standing of the cities, towns and communities where the campuses are located. In Oak Park, the students come from mostly successful families where good brain power runs in the genes. That, coupled with the financial wherewithal these families possess, makes it easy to see why more than 96 percent of this year's graduating class at Oak Park went to either a junior college or a four-year college.

High test scores reflect positively not just on students and their communities, but on the teachers and administrators who are in charge of the kids. Still, it goes without saying that the wealthier communities can afford higher school taxes, which translate into better facilities and more comprehensive programs. The wealthier the community, the better the test scores.

Many factors make up the fabric of our schools. The API scores and California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program provide the most quantifiable measurement of how the students and school districts are doing, but these aren't the only ways to judge success. A student who builds a happy home and contributes to society while performing a job he or she enjoys is a success by any standard—high test scores and affluent school districts notwithstanding.