With the release of California schools” Acountability Progress Report (APR) on Thursday, Aug. 31, East Lake Elementary School in Clearlake Oaks is officially free of “Program Improvement” status. “I always knew that it would be,” said principal Debi Malley.
The APR tracks local schools” progress in meeting accountability requirements imposed by state and federal governments. It is comprised of the state Academic Performance Index (API), the federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and federal Program Improvement.
In a statement issued Aug. 31, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O”Connell credited the accountability systems with providing important information about California schools” performances.
“They show that California schools are making steady progress in raising student achievement, but that we must continue to focus on closing the achievement gap,” O”Connell said. “This is precisely why we need our accountability systems — to ensure that schools continue to move in the right direction and to highlight weaknesses that our education system must overcome so we can prepare all students for success in the rapidly changing global economy.”
A school is identified for Program Improvement, according to the California Department of Education, when for each of two consecutive years it does not make AYP in the same content area (English-language arts or mathematics) schoolwide or for any numerically significant subgroup, or on the same indicator (API or high school graduation rate) schoolwide.
For each year that schools do not meet AYP, they are required to take increasing measures. “For year one, we had to offer school choice — offer attendance at another school in the district that is not program-improvement status,” said Malley. “In year two, we had to do that, plus offer supplemental educational services to all eligible students. And in year three we had to do those two, plus we had to put together an action plan.”
The deeper into corrective action, the fewer schools have made it back out again, according to Superintendent Dr. Louise Nan. “Most schools come out of corrective action in year one or year two,” she said. “Only 25 schools have come out when they have been in as deep as East Lake.”
In 2005, East Lake remained “frozen” in Year 3 by meeting AYP requirements. “Everybody just ratcheted it up a notch,” Malley said, speaking of parents, students and staff as well as district support. “We knew we had to work harder and smarter.”
Student testing demonstrated proficiency in English-language arts and mathematics. The API was an additional indicator for the AYP.
The API is a numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000. Each year a school”s growth target is set at 5 percent of the difference between its base — that is, its score from last year — and the statewide target of 800. East Lake increased its API score by 73 points between 2004 and 2005. Nan lauded the school”s achievement as “the highest recorded growth in the history of the district.”
This year, East Lake again met the federal AYP. Its API for 2006 was 701 points, which — while down by 2 points from 2005 — exceeded a 590 minimum to meet the AYP requirement.
For more information on California schools” testing and accountability, as well as state, county, district and school reports, visit www.cde.ca.gov/ta/.
Contact Cynthia Parkhill at cparkhill@clearlakeobserver.com.
