Local schools do well in state’s API

The California Department of Education recently released the 2004 Academic Performance Index (API) Base Reports. The reports include the base APIs, growth targets, and statewide and similar schools rankings for nearly every public school in California as mandated by California’s Public Schools Accountability Act.

Of the 187 local API recipient schools that had sufficient accurate data, 61 (33 percent) schools posted APIs of 800 or better, up from 31 percent last year. The highest base API for a middle school in 2004 was 868, earned by Redwood Middle School in Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD). The highest base API for a high school in 2004 was 873, earned by Oak Park High School in the Oak Park United School District (OPUSD).

The most outstanding performers are those schools that score well in an absolute sense (statewide rank) and score well in relation to schools with similar student populations (similar schools rank). Each of the following Ventura County schools in CVUSD received both a statewide rank of 10 and a similar schools rank of 10: Cypress Elementary, Madroña Elementary, Colina Middle, Redwood Middle and Newbury Park High School.

Thirty-six schools in Ventura County (19 percent, up from last year’s 17 percent) scored in the top 10 percent of its California peers. Districts represented include Conejo Valley Unifed, Hueneme, Moorpark Unified, Oak Park United, Ojai Unified, Pleasant Valley, Santa Clara, Simi Valley Unified and Ventura Unified.

Twenty-seven schools in Ventura County (14 percent) scored in the decile 9, meaning that 33 percent of the schools in Ventura County are currently ranked in the top 20 percent in the state. Ranking above average (59 percent) were 111 schools (deciles 6 to 10).

Often school success is largely a product of districtwide effort. This can be seen in several local districts that, while facing some of the region’s most formidable educational challenges, have made more academic progress than similarly challenged schools. Fifty-five percent of the eligible schools earned similar school ranks in the top half (deciles 6 to 10). Seventeen schools (9 percent) scored in the top 10 rank (rank of 10) of their California peers on this similar school ranking: Cypress Elementary, Madroña Elementary, Colina Middle, Redwood Middle, Sequoia Middle and Newbury Park High of Conejo Valley, and Walnut Canyon Elementary and Moorpark High of Moorpark Unified.

For the second year, school districts have received API scores as well. Five school districts, up from four last year, posted districtwide scores over the state target of 800: Conejo Valley Unified, Mesa Elementary, Pleasant Valley, Oak Park Unified and Santa Clara Elementary. The top scoring district was Santa Clara Elementary with a score of 874, followed closely by Oak Park Unified with a score of 872.

Individual school and district 2004 Base API results are available to the public at http://api.cde.ca.gov/.