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Schools

San Ramon Valley School District Scores High on API, Again

The district improved its API score to 927, up from 922 last year. It's the eighth highest score in the state, and the highest among unified districts with more than 9,000 students tested.

San Ramon Valley schools once again showed improvement in the 2012 Academic Performance Index Growth Report, according to data released Thursday by the California Department of Education, with all scores averaging well above the state target.

The overall 2012 API growth score for the district was 927, up 5 points from the 2011 API Base score of 922. It marks a two-year growth of 11 points. The state goal for all schools is 800 on the API.

These results continue to place SRVUSD as the eighth highest unified school district in the state and the highest among unified districts with more than 9,000 students tested.

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Every elementary school in the district scored higher than 900 on the measure. Twin Creeks, Montevideo and Walt Disney Elementary Schools showed the most growth at the elementary level - 23, 20 and 19 points respectively over the previous year.

At the middle school level, Windemere Ranch increased by 13 points. Dougherty Valley High School showed an increase of 15 points. The district’s comprehensive high schools are in the top 4 percent of all high schools statewide.

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In addition, scores for several specific subgroups in the district also improved. Results for the district’s African American subgroup (with an API of 824) were up six points. SRVUSD students classified as “English Learners” (as a group) ranked first among all unified districts in the state with an API of 920.

“It is amazing that a high achieving district like ours can continue to improve,” said Superintendent Mary Shelton. “While I am pleased to see that many of our subgroups improved again, a few did not, and we will continue to make that a primary focus in our classrooms.”

Statewide, a majority of schools met or surpassed the statewide target for academic achievement. That's the first time that's happened in the API rankings.

State Superintendent Tom Torlakson announced 53 percent of California schools finished above the target mark of 800 on the index. That was an increase of 4 percent over the previous year. Ten years ago, 20 percent of the state's schools surpassed the API target.

In this latest rankings, 59 percent of elementary schools, 49 percent of middle schools and 30 percent of high schools exceeded the state benchmark.

The API is a numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000.

“We’ve set a high bar for schools and they have more than met the challenge, despite the enormous obstacles that years of budget cuts have put in their way,” Torlakson said. “The incredible efforts of teachers, administrators, school employees, parents, and students should serve as an inspiration to us all. While there’s still more work to do, California’s schools have earned a vote of confidence.”

In addition to the API scores, the state superintendent's office also unveiled today an online accountability tool that puts a wide variety of academic results and other information about a school’s performance at the fingertips of parents and the public.

The new School Quality Snapshot can be found at http://www.cde.ca.gov/snapshot/

--Some information from this article came from a SRVUSD press release. 

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