Schools receive funding for improved API scores
Angelique Flores
Local schools will receive $1.72 million from the state for meeting
their targets under the Academic Performance Index.
“We’ve done remarkably well, and all our schools are improving,” said
Jerry White, Huntington Beach Union High School District’s director of
curriculum development.
Schools that reached their target growth scores after taking the
Stanford 9 tests last spring will be awarded $63 per student from the
$227 million that Gov. Gray Davis earmarked for the program.
Edison, Huntington Beach, Ocean View and Westminster high schools
combined earned $512,381. Huntington Beach and Westminster were among the
county’s top 10 high schools in reaping the award money. Each high school
will decide how the funds are spent.
“We’re very happy for the schools that received money, but we think
that the schools that didn’t receive money worked just as hard,” White
said.
Although Fountain Valley and Marina high schools’ scores increased,
the targets for the schools’ subgroups didn’t meet the goal, which is why
they will miss out on the funding.
“I wish we had a way to reward all of them,” White said.
Nine of Fountain Valley School District’s 11 schools received
$321,852.
“We’re very pleased at how well our schools did,” said Catherine
Follett, Fountain Valley School District’s assistant superintendent of
instruction.
While Cox and Oka elementary schools met their overall target, the two
schools had subgroups that failed to meet the target goal, which
disqualified them from receiving awards.
“We look forward to all the schools getting an award next year,”
Follett said.
Many of the Fountain Valley schools will put their money toward the
before- and after-school remediation programs.
Seven of Huntington Beach City School District’s schools pulled in
$314,127 in awards.
Two schools were not eligible for funding. Perry Elementary School’s
scores improved but not enough to meet the target. Smith Elementary
School went down in its score.
Ocean View School District schools received $581,526. Westmont
Elementary School was the only school that did not meet it’s goal and
will not receive money.
Each school will deciding how to spend its money.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.