MOST TEST SCORES RISE IN BURBANK, GLENDALE.Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer Students at most schools scored better on standardized tests A standardized test is a test administered and scored in a standard manner. The tests are designed in such a way that the "questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent" [1] this last year, but still fell short of state-mandated levels of academic performance. The Academic Performance Index gauges student achievement on standardized tests, using a point system ranging from 200 to 1,000. Legislation passed in 1999 requires schools scoring below 800 to improve their scores each year. While making significant strides, none of the 16 schools in the Burbank Burbank, city (1990 pop. 93,643), Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1911. Tourism and the entertainment industry are central to its economy; several motion-picture studios and television headquarters are here. Burbank's aerospace industry collapsed with the end of the Cold War. Unified district reached 800 on the index. Of the 17 schools in the neighboring neigh·bor n. 1. One who lives near or next to another. 2. A person, place, or thing adjacent to or located near another. 3. A fellow human. 4. Used as a form of familiar address. v. Glendale Glendale. 1 City (1990 pop. 148,134), Maricopa co., S central Ariz., adjacent to Phoenix; inc. 1910. It is located in a rich agricultural region irrigated by the Salt River project. Glendale has become one of the fastest-growing U.S. Unified district, 10 topped 800. Burbank's Disney Elementary School elementary school: see school. made the biggest leap in its district, with an increase of 88 points. Disney's teachers just received $10,000 bonuses for their school's improvement on last year's API (Application Programming Interface) A language and message format used by an application program to communicate with the operating system or some other control program such as a database management system (DBMS) or communications protocol. tests. For 2001, the school recorded a score of 785 - just 15 points shy of the state goal - which the principal believes it will certainly reach next year. ``We've jumped 182 points in the last two years. This is not a surprise, because it's something we planned for based on what we do with kids,'' Principal Linda Reksten said, citing regular assessments of student performance throughout the year. ``We're going to go to 800 next year.'' Terry Dutton, assistant director of assessment and evaluation for Glendale, said that about the same number of schools reached their goal as last year, but their performance is still impressive within the state. ``We are pleased because there was a thought that we would level off,'' Dutton said. ``Our district has many more schools above 800 on average than most districts.'' He said his office is working aggressively to help schools that fell short of their target, including Glendale Senior High, whose 594 score was the lowest in the district - 9 points lower than last year's. It was one of four district schools at which performance fell. ``We're quite surprised they didn't meet their target because they did a number of things that made them think would make the target,'' Dutton said. ``Some of it is puzzling puz·zle v. puz·zled, puz·zling, puz·zles v.tr. 1. To baffle or confuse mentally by presenting or being a difficult problem or matter. 2. because we tried different interventions, but they haven't paid off yet.'' |
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