SCV SCHOOLS GAIN IN API NEW SCORES SHOW MOST IN TOP 20% STATEWIDE.

Byline: Eugene Tong Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Almost all of the valley's public schools ranked in the top 20 percent in California, but some received mixed grades when compared with campuses of similar size and demographics, according to a state academic index released Thursday.

The William S. Hart Union High School District performed well overall with almost all eight junior high and high schools falling within the top 20 percent statewide, according to the 2002 Academic Performance Index.

But Hart and Saugus high schools, along with Sierra Vista Junior High, fared below average when compared among similar schools grouped by such criteria as student ethnicity, socioeconomic status and average class size.

``That number only shows how a school compares with 100 other schools that share certain demographic characteristics,'' curriculum director Vicki Engbrecht said. ``I don't believe it's as important a factor in evaluating the strength of an education program as the statewide ranking.''

Part of Gov. Gray Davis' 1999 public school accountability program, the API measures performance based on several standardized tests, ranging from the California Standards Test and a national exam known as the Stanford 9 to the new state High School Exit Exam. A base score from 200 to 1,000 sets rankings and growth targets in time for the exams in spring.

``The growing emphasis on standards-based tests for accountability provides schools with a more complete picture of how well their students are learning what is being taught in California classrooms,'' Superintendent of Public Education Jack O'Connell said in a statement.

This year, about 40 percent of Santa Clarita Valley schools met or surpassed the state's performance target of 800 points, compared with the statewide average of 17 percent.

Schools making their goal would receive recognition and even money awards. But with the current state budget crisis, financial rewards may be impossible this year, the statement said.

Saugus Union Elementary School District maintained strong test results and high statewide rankings on the 2002 Academic Performance Index, with seven of its 13 schools scoring more than 800 points - already exceeding their target for this year.

Newhall Elementary earned an API score of 685, the lowest compared with other schools in the Newhall School District, which all scored at least 770. But the campus received an ``8'' ranking among similar schools, placing it in the top 20 percent of its group.

``Newhall is about 70 percent Hispanic students, and a vast majority are English language learners,'' Superintendent Marc Winger said. ``You can't compare it with schools like Meadows and Stevenson Ranch, where the number of English language learners is negligible. When I see an '8' there, I'm proud of that school.''

As for the Hart district, Engbrecht said the schools have been working to strengthen reading and mathematics for some 19,000 junior high and high school students. Both subjects are large components in calculating the API, along with a social science test just incorporated last year.

``All of our schools are going to work very hard to achieve the academic targets that have been set by the state,'' Engbrecht said. ``They are examining their curriculum to make sure it's aligned with the state content standards.''

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SOURCE: California Department of Education