California Schools Make Headway, But Sanction Concerns Remain

Reporting continues on the release of California's Academic Performance Index, which shows widespread gains but also raised concerns about the state's ability to meet AYP goals in the future. The AP (9/1, Chea) reports, "California schools posted gains on standardized tests for the ninth consecutive year, even as nearly 4,000 campuses face possible sanctions for failing to reach rising federal requirements," according to the state Department of Education's Accountability Progress Report. Data from the state show that "a record 49 percent of public schools met or surpassed the state target score of 800 on the 1,000-point Academic Performance Index, up from 46 percent in 2010 and 36 percent in 2009." However, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson noted, racial academic gaps persist despite some gains. Torlakson has also asked Secretary Arne Duncan for "a waiver for California, but he and other school officials asked that states not be 'held hostage to new and under-funded policy requirements.'"

A host of California newspapers and websites reported on the results for local areas. The Los Angeles Daily News (9/1, Llanos), for example, reports "students at Los Angeles schools continue making steady academic gains, with a record number of campuses meeting key state achievement goals." Overall, "the Los Angeles Unified School District scored 728 on the Academic Performance Index," a gain of 19 points over the previous year. However, "while more schools than ever can brag about their test scores, an alarmingly high number of campuses in the state and in L.A. were also marked as failing under federal guidelines," the article notes.

 

The Santa Cruz Sentinel (9/1, Jones) reports, "Statewide, 49 percent of schools met the state goal, up from 46 percent last year. But more than 900 schools are at risk of joining nearly 4,000 others already designated failing by federal officials for falling short of proficiency targets in English and math." Mary Anne James, director of curriculum and assessment for Santa Cruz City Schools, is quoted as saying, "The question is, is the target meaningful or is the improvement meaningful."