Nesbit, Cipriani Boost Test Performance; Other Schools Show Slight Decrease

[Editor's note: "A" means the school scored at or above the statewide performance target of 800 in 2013; "D"means this is either an LEA or a special education school. Target information is not applicable to LEAs or special education schools.]

Nesbit and Cipriani elementary schools were the only two schools to post gains on student test performance last year, according to numbers released Thursday by state school chief Tom Torlakson. 

Nesbit increased 20 points from the 2012 Base Academic Performance Index of 845 to a 2013 Growth API of 865; Cipriani's API scores increased seven points, from 903 to 910. 

Overall, schools in the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (BRSSD--comprised of six elementary and one middle school) dropped six points from 919 in 2012 to 913 in 2013. Redwood Shores Elementary School experienced the biggest drop, from 943 to 928. Despite these slight decreases, all BRSSD schools scored at or above the statewide performance target of 800 in 2013.

The API is a score ranging from 200 to 1,000 that measures how well students do on a variety of tests, including the California Standards Test and the state’s high school exit exam. The state has set 800 as the API target for all schools to meet. Here’s a detailed summary of the API from the California Department of Education.

Statewide, the number of California schools meeting the state target for student performance on standardized tests dropped by 2 percent.

In 2013, 51 percent of the state’s schools earned an Academic Performance Index score of 800 or above, compared to 53 percent the previous year.

Based on 2013 test scores, 56 percent of elementary schools, 50 percent of middle schools, and 31 percent of high schools are now at or above the 800 mark.

In the last decade, the number of schools meeting the target of an 800 API has increased by 30 percent.

The state’s overall API dropped two points to 789 from 791, but Torlakson was quick to note that the statewide API for poor students and students learning English increased five points and one point, respectively.

“Despite the very real challenges of deep budget cuts and the ongoing effort to shift to new, more demanding academic standards, our schools persevered and students made progress,” Torlakson said. 

“These results should give us confidence as we start the new school year, and our efforts to make college- and career-readiness a goal for every student move into high gear,” he added.