Meeting the call for accountability in education, Malibu area schools ranked on the higher end of the Academic Performance Index (API) report for public schools throughout the state.
All three elementary schools exceeded the statewide performance target of 800, while Malibu High School missed the target by only one point.
Juan Cabrillo Elementary scored 837, Point Dume scored a high 901, and Webster Elementary scored 873. Malibu High School’s API score reached 799. (See box).
The three elementary schools are eligible for rewards because they met or exceeded statewide API targets.
Pat Cairns of Juan Cabrillo Elementary said she is proud of the children and teachers at Cabrillo, and of the support received from parents. However, she said the school’s goals are not test scores, but to provide a high-level education. The test scores are a result of the education the children receive, she said.
“We do not teach to the tests,” said Cairns. “Our prime motivation is to have a quality education for all the children.”
While Cairns said she does believe in accountability for schools and teachers, she also feels that there is a lot of pressure put on students and teachers alike from increases in mandatory testing.
“Some students do thrive under pressure, some don’t,” said Cairns. “[That] doesn’t mean they’re not smart or gifted.”
The API is the foundation of the Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA–Senate Bill 1X), a Gov. Gray Davis-sponsored bill signed into law in April 1999.
The law authorized the establishment of the first statewide accountability system for California public schools. The API, the Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program (II/USP) and the Governor’s Performance Award (GPA) Program are the three major components of the system.
The API measures the academic performance and progress of schools. It is composed of a numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1000. The 2000 API has set this year’s baseline for a school’s academic performance and sets an annual target for growth. A API score of 800 is what schools should strive to meet.
“The 2000 API results reset the baselines and growth target for our schools,” said Delaine Eastin, state superintendent of public instruction. “In effect, each new reporting cycle provides a fresh beginning for every school. What is important is that, wherever schools are on the API scale, they can and must show academic progress. this improvement in student achievement is the goal of our accountability system.”
Results of the Stanford 9 test, given in spring 2000 as part of the state’s Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program, were used to calculate each school’s API for 2000. In grades 2 through 8, the API measures student performance in mathematics, reading, language and spelling. In grades 9 through 11, the API measures performance in mathematics, reading, language, history / social science, and science. Grades kindergarten, 1st and 12th are not tested.
API Internet reports for schools are posted on the California Department of Education Web site at www.api.cde.ca.gov.