Local API scores show decline
Only Banyan and Cypress elementary schools made gains
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com

Although most Conejo Valley Unified School District schools are still meeting state goals, recent test scores show a noticeable decline in the numbers from last year. The scores of 21 of the district's 27 schools decreased and two scores didn't budge.

The California Department of Education's annual results for academic performance were released earlier this month. The scores, which top out at 1,000, are based on a compilation of tests students take in the spring.

Seventeen of the schools that saw scores drop remained above the state goal of 800. Scores of the other four stayed in the 700s.

Scores at nine schools in the district again surpassed 900. Five went down, but still remained in the 900s, while two scores were the same as last year's. Two schools, Banyan and Cypress elementary, went up to 916 and 919, respectively.

At a board of education meeting last week, assistant superintendent of instructional services Janet Cosaro emphasized that CVUSD numbers started out strong and remain some of the highest in California.

"You'll see modest growth in some districts, and some decline," said Cosaro of districts like CVUSD, which long ago reached the 800 mark. "In the next few years it's going to become more difficult to sustain growth."

Banyan's increase to 916 from 904 was the largest jump this year, compared to a 40-point jump last year by Ladera Elementary. Ladera fell back 21 points this year.

There were even larger drops, including that of Glenwood Elementary, which fell 46 points- from 812 to 766.

But Cosaro urged the public to look at the big picture. Although there was a slide this year, Glenwood has averaged around a 35-point growth over the last eight years, starting at 731 in 1999.

"It's really a regression to the mean," Cosaro said. "It's important to look at what we've done over time. You can't just look at this year's scores when we are at this level. We moved huge groups of kids up, but you can't sustain such a high growth rate. You do start to level off."

Manzanita Elementary fell 40 points from 780 to 740 and Maple dropped 24 points from 898 to 874. And although it dropped eight points, Sycamore Canyon Elementary still holds the highest score at 923.

Scores for Title I schools have grown tremendously since 1999, despite a large increase in English-language learners. Conejo Elementary, for example, whose scores dropped very slightly this year, has seen its scores increase from 560 in 1999 to 781 this year.

Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of public instruction, acknowledged the "leveling off" after gains over the past five years.

"It is important that we not lose sight of the significant gains that our students and our schools have made, nor should we misinterpret these current data as a decline in overall student or school performance," O'Connell said in a statement.

"However, it is clear that we will need to redouble our efforts if we are to attain our goal to prepare all students for success in the rapidly changing global economy," he said.

The district's score dropped 11 points. However, in the English-language learner subgroup (made up of 1,873 students), CVUSD improved by 42 points. The subgroup of students with disabilities also improved.

As for what's next, Cosaro said there may be some changes.

"We may change the focus from only looking at standardsbased instruction to refining practices using progress monitoring."

She said "we want to be making interventions along the way, making sure the kids have learned what is taught and then move on."