Conejo Valley schools receive high marks in latest academic rankings
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com

Click on table to enlarge.

Conejo Valley Unified schools made a relatively strong showing in the API score rankings released by the California Department of Education Tuesday. State-mandated growth targets show that nearly all CVUSD schools have met their academic standards.

The Academic Performance Index ranks schools on a scale from 200 to 1,000. The number is calculated by using data from the California Standards Test, California Alternate Performance Assessment and the California High School Exit Exam.

The base API, which is based on last spring's test scores and later recalculated, showed that three of the district's 27 schools--Conejo, Manzanita and Park Oaks elementary--had not met the state goal of 800. Nine schools, however, attained a score of 900 or higher.

"On the one hand, we are quite elated," said Mario Contini, CVUSD superintendent of schools. "Through recalculation our scores have gone up, and that's real exciting. But of course, our goal is continuous improvement, not just for the sake of the score, but for actually improving (the students') learning."

The schools surpassing 900 were all elementary schools: Banyan, Cypress, Lang Ranch, Madrona, Sycamore Canyon, Weathersfield, Westlake, Westlake Hills and Wildwood. 

Of the 201 schools in the county, 81 schools, or 40 percent, posted scores of 800 or better, up 7 percent from last year.

The top middle school score in the Conejo district, 892, was earned by Redwood Middle School for the third year in a row.

"This new score, it really validates our high achievement here at Redwood," said Principal Louis Lichtil. "It sets the bar a little higher for us and our students, and it really brings back the realization that our goal in education is always to improve.

"This has not been a one-year performance," Lichtil added. "It's great performances every time. I think that speaks volumes to our teaching staff who are dedicated to staying current in their fields, and I think it's also due to the fact that we enjoy outstanding support from our parent community."

The top high school mark of 841 went to Westlake.

According to Contini, schools tend to taper off or stop improving when students reach middle school or high school. Contini said he is pleased to see the trend has not been apparent at CVUSD.

The median scores for the state's 9,400 schools have grown consistently since the report's inception in 1999. Elementary schools, which started with a 629 median, have risen to a score of 758 this year. Middle schools went from a 633 to 724 and high schools from 620 to 700.

Schools also are ranked on a scale of 1 to 10. Eighteen Conejo schools received a 10 when compared to all schools statewide, but when matched up against schools of similar socioeconomic background, only eight received the highest mark. A 10 means the schools rank in the top 10th decile.

Twenty-five schools in the county scored in the top 10 percent in the similar schools ranking. Conejo had the most, including Glenwood, Manzanita, Park Oaks and Sycamore Canyon elementary schools; Colina, Redwood and Sequoia middle schools; and Thousand Oaks High School.

"I'm proud of our students, parents and educators in California whose continued work toward academic excellence is reflecting steady academic progress in our schools' API scores," said Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of public instruction, in a statement Tuesday. "The API is a powerful, comprehensive tool that holds schools publicly accountable for progress made by all of our students."

For more information, visit www.cde.ca.gov.