DISTRICT IMPROVES SCORES 3 HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE HARD TIME WITH API.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - All 13 schools in the Saugus Union District improved their Academic Performance Index scores over last year, although three of the four local comprehensive high schools missed their mark, according to statewide results released Monday.

The cornerstone of accountability for California public schools, the index is calculated by the state based on a complicated formula that relies on the Standardized Testing and Reporting exam, or STAR test.

Established through the Public Schools Accountability Act in 1999, the index allows for eligible schools to receive incentive-based state funds - more than $250 million in API-related funds has been earmarked in the 2001-02 state budget, some of which is likely headed to Saugus district schools.

``This is a district that's always been very focused on curriculum and instruction,'' said district Superintendent Judy Fish. ``From the principals to the teachers, that's always been the thrust of this district.''

Three elementary schools in the Saugus district - North Park, Plum Canyon and Santa Clarita - recorded hefty jumps, improving by 42, 38 and 26 points, respectively.

``We always do a lot of analysis on where we did well and where we can improve,'' Fish added. ``That's a major part of how we get to the next level in terms of growth.''

Echoing the statewide trend, three high schools in the William S. Hart Union High School District fell short of their overall targets, as well as the targets for specific demographics based on ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

With a 716 base number in 2000, Canyon High needed a five-point increase to meet its target. Instead, its 2001 growth score fell to 697 - a 19-point drop.

District junior highs, however, posted better results.

Placerita Junior High - the crown jewel of improvement among all Santa Clarita Valley schools this year - jumped a whopping 62 points, bringing its 2001 growth to 807.

An 800 is the statewide performance target out of a possible 1,000 score, with 200 representing the minimum score.

Delaine Eastin, state superintendent of public instruction, said the decrease in schools meeting their growth targets - 57 percent this year, down from 71 percent in 2000 - is not cause for alarm.

``It is not surprising that the number of schools making their growth targets is down from the first reporting cycle,'' she said. ``An outstanding number of schools showed major gains on their 1999-2000 API reports, and this could not be expected every year.''

Highlighting the positive, Eastin said that 74 percent of state schools improved their overall schoolwide API scores, a figure generated by excluding the results of specific subgroups.

Among local schools, some of the biggest improvements occurred in the Sulphur Springs Union School District.

While Pinetree Community and Valley View elementary schools missed their targets, the remaining five Sulphur Springs schools boasted improvements as high as 52 points.

The Newhall School District produced a mixed bag, with about half its schools achieving growth targets.

And the area's smallest district, Castaic Union Elementary, produced improvements of 36 and 31 points, while Live Oak Elementary slipped 11 points from last year, to 702.

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API RESULTS