Report Card

During Tuesday’s board meeting of the Ocean View School District Board

of Trustees, Karen Colby, assistant superintendent of curriculum and

instruction, presented the recently released Academic Performance Index

scores for each of the district schools and explained the difference

between the report released in January from that released in October.

The purpose of the API is to measure the academic performance and

progress of schools.

On Jan. 15, the district received the 2000-01 API base report, which

contains not only the Stanford 9 scores but also, for the first time, the

California Standards Test in English Language Arts.

Scores from both tests will be used to figure the API each year in

order to maintain consistency in the statewide API scale from year to

year.

Colby’s reported Tuesday that the base reports for 2000 show that

Circle View, Harbour View, Star View and Marine View all achieved scores

above 800 and in 2001, Hope View and Village View also exceeded 800.

A score of 800 is the target score, that each school must strive to be

at or above.

The district is excited to report that Oak View and Lake View

elementary schools, and Marine View and Mesa View middle schools, all

ranked in the top 10 when compared to similar schools, Colby said.

“We are thrilled about the 100 API growth-point gain made by Oak View

School, the highest growth made by a school in Orange County,” she said.

“The strong API gains made in our district is a direct result of the

district’s standards-based assessment driven curriculum and the hard work

of classroom teachers.”

Colby credited District Supt. James Tarwater and school site

administrators for setting the direction, and parents for sending their

children to school ready to learn.

Making reading accessible

Dwyer Middle School sixth-grade student Lexi Terry is the winner of

the local round of the 2002 Reading is Fundamental Inc. National Poster

Contest.

Lexi’s winning poster depicts the contest theme, “Adventures in

Reading.” She will compete in March in Washington, D.C. for the national

title.

“I just thought it would be neat to have stories coming to life out of

a book,” she said in describing her poster. “I have been drawing since I

was about 3 years old and it is very exciting to win this contest.”

The Reading Is Fundamental program at Dwyer serves more than 1,100

students. Three times a year students are allowed to pick out a book to

keep. It is an effort to encourage students to read. Contests, such as

the National Poster Contest, have been introduced at Dwyer this year.

Other Dwyer finalists in the National Poster Contest were sixth-grader

Joyce Ho, seventh-grader Mayra Cortez and eighth-grader Anayeli Rojas.

All posters will be placed on display at the school library.

“There is nothing more important in promoting reading than getting

books into the hands of students,” said Dwyer Principal Duane Cox.

Gala set to go off

Golden West College will stage its fifth annual Fund-raising Gala on

March 9 at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach.

The event provides scholarship money for deserving Golden West

students as well as funding for projects, programs, instructional

equipment and educational support tools that help keep the Huntington

Beach campus operating and innovative.

The event is put on by the Golden West College Foundation in

conjunction with Toyota Motor Sales, USA., Inc.

“We hope that this year’s fund-raising gala expresses the college’s

appreciation for students and community supporters,” said Golden West

College President Kenneth Yglesias.

Last year the foundation was able to fund wish list requests for the

college’s faculty and staff amounting to $28,600 for instructional items,

such as wheelchairs, an electric water heater, air cleaning systems,

scanners, printers and room fans.

The gala will start with a live silent auction followed by dinner,

dancing and entertainment.

Old-fashioned educational fun

Fifth-grade students at Smith Elementary School will celebrate

Colonial Days Friday. Classroom and outside activities will teach

students, who will dress in period costumes, how to use a spinning wheel

and make different foods. Games and educational speeches are also

scheduled for the day’s agenda.