Editorial

When the statewide Academic Performance Index rankings were issued in

January, local school leaders had reason to both rejoice and reflect.

The rejoicing came with the news that Andersen Elementary School scored a

county high of 933, also 14th in the state.

The reflection came later for Newport-Mesa school district officials, who

unfortunately also had to note that just a few miles away in Costa Mesa,

Wilson Elementary School students posted a bottom 10% score of 443--a

500-point gulf compared to their Andersen counterparts.

School officials cried that to compare the two was apples and oranges.

It’s wrong to expect Wilson students, who are largely new to the English

language, to the more proficient native English language speakers at

Andersen, school leaders explained. Aside from language, there is another

factor that is key to Andersen’s ability to churn out top-notch students:

parental involvement.

And school officials may have found a way to spread that idea

districtwide.

A program called Families and Schools Together just completed its

inaugaral year on the Wilson campus, with the graduation of 10 local

families. If the program’s early reviews prove correct, this could be one

way to emulate Andersen’s nurturing parental environment.

Students are guided through the program by teachers who lead families in

games and activities. Children read to their parents for a half-hour a

day, serve them food and, in turn, parents learn to listen to their

child’s academic concerns.

The program has shown results, school leaders say, and that’s exactly

what we need for schools like Wilson.

Instead of repeating the argument that language is the barrier to higher

test scores, school officials need to look for and implement creative

solutions, such as Families and Schools Together.

And maybe, as more of these programs come to fruition, we will see both

the end of contrasting test scores in Newport-Mesa, as well as the

excuses that perpetuate the same results year after year.