API scores are in

Academic Performance Index [API] and Adequate Yearly Progress [AYP]report were released with La Cañada Unified School District remained with high scores.

The API scores represent test that were taken by students from second grade to high school juniors in 2006-2007 school year. The tests are mandated by the state and are used as a tool to monitor how each school and district’s achievement level. The student’s individual scores were mailed out to parents earlier in August. The scores that were released on Friday by the California Department of Education are targeted to individual schools and the district overall. The state’s goal is for schools to reach 800 out of a possible 1000, all elementary schools in the La Cañada district are over 900, the high school is at 895. Paradise Canyon Elementary showed the highest growth, a ten point gain from last year. Palm Crest Elementary remained the same, the other schools dropped by a few points.

All schools met their AYP requirement, a growth level set by the federal No Child Left Behind act. This requires schools to meet standards, the goal is that all students, including subgroups are proficient by 2013. Subgroups are either divided by ethnic background, English language learners and special needs. The high school did not meet their state targeted growth marks due to one of the subgroups however their scores are comfortably above the 800 mark.

“We are ok,” said high school principal Damon Dragos. “We always hope that everyone will grow.”

Dragos said that the scores are in the high 800’s so he does not worry about the subgroup numbers as a whole but does stress that the school focuses on the individual.

“It is not about mass growth but more about individuals,” he said.

La Cañada is in the enviable position of having a community that strongly supports public education. With this support teachers can concentrate on all students, special needs included as individuals instead of a specific group.

Changes are in the future however with scoring, in the past the federal requirement has been a five point growth, next year it will be ten points. The growth then continues to 2013, where everyone throughout the nation is expected to be at one level.

“Another four years and even our highest performing students will have some problems,” Dragos said.

He added that the problem with expecting everyone to be at the same level is that the standards throughout the states are different. “California has very high standards, where other states that seem to be succeeding may have lower standards.”

For now Dragos and his staff continue to look at the students as individuals.

“We are in a very competitive group of schools,” Dragos said about the schools that are comparable to the high school like Beverly Hills High School. “Sometimes [with these tests] it seems that are students are more like commodities.”

Dragos said he understands there are certain expectations that are made for students who attend La Cañada schools but continued to stress that each child is an individual and needs to be viewed that way.