Local test scores dip, overall rankings high

Suzie Harrison

Though Laguna Beach Unified schools received high 2004 Academic

Performance Index scores, performance was down compared with 2003

results at all of the schools except El Morro Elementary School.

The statewide performance target for all schools is 800, with

growth measured based on that number. The Laguna Beach Unified

District, as a whole, scored 835 in 2003 and 820 in 2004.

“What we see is that in the statewide ranking we continue to be in

the nines and tens, or in the top 10 percentile,” Asst. Supt. Steven

Keller said.

Individually, El Morro climbed from 838 in 2003 to 839 in 2004.

Top of the World Elementary School went from 892 in 2003 to 879 this

year. Thurston Middle School had a 2004 of score of 823, dropping

from last year’s 838. The most significant decline was seen at Laguna

Beach High School, which dropped from 790 in 2003 to 765 in 2004.

Keller explained that scores are released in the fall and

subsequently, in March, schools are ranked.

Rankings are compared on two levels -- statewide and to similar

schools.

Keller said that the state defines “like schools” based on similar

demographics. Those comparative scores have dropped.

“In similar-school rankings, we see that some of the schools

dipped a little in our similar-schools comparison,” Keller said. “The

dip is correlated with the fact that our overall API scores declined

this year.”

Keller said the district became aware of this in October.

“We have been diligent in our focus to increase our API scores and

rankings,” Keller said. “A few things have caused the dip.”

Keller said it’s interesting that Laguna Beach Unified School

District scores generally increase or decrease collectively.

“It’s the first year with the implementation of a language arts

program,” Keller said. “Based on prior experience, the first year

with a new and comprehensive curriculum is a year of discovery and

sometimes a risk.”

Keller said that as the teachers have become more comfortable with

the language arts curriculum this year, he is optimistic that the

district will see an increase in API scores.

“I remind our community that Laguna Beach Unified School District

focuses on the whole child, not just a snapshot achievement

assessment,” Keller said.

Each of Laguna’s schools has been seeking to improve scores for

the 2005 API testing, which will occur this month.

“We have done an excellent job of aligning our curriculum to the

state standards -- while at the same time connecting this curriculum

to real life,” Keller said. “We’ll see [that] at one school they’re

better at language arts and [at another] one better at math.”

Keller said it’s not a one-size-fits-all situation.

Laguna Beach High School and Top of the World Elementary School

have been focusing on increasing math scores by a minimum of five

points; Thurston Middle School and El Morro Elementary School are

looking for this increase in language arts.

Joanne Culverhouse, now Thurston’s principal, was at El Morro for

last year’s API testing.

“I attribute the high scores to the dedication of the teachers,”

Culverhouse said. Culverhouse said Thurston’s goals are to identify

the areas that have taken a dip and focus on those.

The Professional Learning Community was implemented in January

this year.

“Teachers analyze data meeting as teams to improve teaching and

learning,” Culverhouse said.

Keller said the district focuses on the big five data indicators

-- the California Healthy Kids Survey, student attendance, the

California Physical Fitness Exam, Advanced Placement results and the

API Results.

Laguna’s Latino population has performed well compared with other

districts in Orange County.

“Based on the 2003 API results, our 11th grade Hispanic students

scored higher than any other subgroup in Orange County,” Keller said.

Keller also lauds students in their performance on the California

High School Exit Exam.

“We had the highest passing rate in 2004 in Orange County; and we

were number two in the county for 2003 SAT scores,” Keller said.

With those results contradicting the high school’s lower API

scores, Keller said that part of the problem is that API scores are

not individual scores, and technically have no ramification for an

individual student. Some students get parental permission to opt out

of API testing in order to focus on PSAT, SAT and AP tests -- which

can be attributed to part of the drop in API scores.

“Our API scores remain high when compared to other schools in the

state,” Keller said. “We continue to ‘bounce off the ceiling,’ which

means when you’re already scoring really high it’s more difficult to

increase your scores statistically speaking. But we’ll bounce back.”