Most STAR scores rising

Laguna Beach Unified School District continues to receive high scores on the annual Standardized Testing and Reporting test, according to an official report released this month by State Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell.

Overall, the district has shown steady growth in the percentage of students scoring at or above the proficient level in English-language arts, mathematics and history compared to last year’s results. Sixth-grade mathematics and 10th-grade summative mathematics showed the greatest improvement, with a 14- and 18-percentage point increase, respectively, compared to last year in the amount of students testing at or above the proficient level.

“I am so proud of our students who always try their best to show what they have learned throughout the year,” said Chris Duddy, principal at El Morro Elementary. “I would like to thank the parent community for making school a priority and all of their support. It really takes a community effort. We look forward to continuing to improve and more success next year.”

Both Top of the World and El Morro elementary schools had the majority of their students performing at the proficient or advanced level in all subjects. Test scores at El Morro show a 15% increase in math for the fourth-grade level “” one of the most significant subject jumps of all schools in the district this year.

Although district scores rose for English-language arts, math and history, scores in the science categories showed some decline from last year. The percentage of 11th-grade students scoring at or above proficient in biology/life sciences, for example, showed a decline of 26% from last year’s scores. However, Laguna Beach schools continue to score favorably in relation to the state average “” a number that itself is also increasing in the seven years since all California Standards Tests were calibrated to state standards.

“We are shifting into a model of collaboration with other schools in an attempt to help everyone improve student achievement,” said Don Austin, Laguna Beach High School principal. “It is our desire to share best practices with our peers in a way that benefits everyone. We are proud of our students and our staff looks toward fostering our culture of continuous improvement.”

The STAR tests are administered to students all across California every spring and test a variety of core subject areas. All students in grades two through 11 take the series of tests, which measure a student against standards set by the state. For a complete view of the 2009 STAR results, visit star.cde.ca.gov.