Alameda Schools Continue to Show Improvement on State Tests

Alameda public schools continue to do well, according to California Department of Education test results released Wednesday.

Overall, the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) improved its Academic Performance Index (API) from 833 in 2010 to 842 in 2011.

“This latest round of reports from the state confirms that most of our students are continuing to improve year after year," said AUSD Superintendent Kirsten Vital. "With now in place, we expect greater educational opportunities for every student in AUSD."

Test results also show improvement among several groups district-wide. African American students' scores jumped 14 points while those of Filipino students climbed by 13 points.

API measures a school's academic performance, assigning every school a score on a 1000-point scale based on its performance on standardized statewide exams. A score of 800 is considered excellent. Schools are expected to improve each year from their existing API scores.

AUSD schools received scores from 749 to 947 (excluding Island High, a continuation school, which is subject to different requirements).

Twelve out of 15 AUSD schools exceeded the state’s overall API target score of 800.

Some Alameda schools made extraordinary gains in API, including a 29 point rise for Lum Elementary and 53 point jump at the Alameda Science and Technlogy Institute (ASTI), an AUSD magnet high school located on the campus of the College of Alameda.

State-wide, just under half (49 percent) of California schools exceeded or met their API target, a record.

“I applaud the hard work our students, teachers, parents, school employees and administrators are doing to improve — even in the face of severe cuts to school funding,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. “California’s students are performing better than ever. The failure here is in our politics, not our public schools.”

AUSD staff will presented a detailed analysis of API test results for AUSD at future board of education meetings.

API scores here.