Schools

State Test Scores Improve In Fewer Than Half Of WCCUSD Schools

Kensington Elementary and Madera Elementary achieve the highest scores in the district

About one in five West Contra Costa Unified schools met their target goals in the 2013 Academic Performance Index scores released today by the state Superintendent of Schools office.

The scores at 28 schools, or 57 percent of the district, either declined or remained the same from the year before and were below target goals.

Another 12 schools, or 24 percent, saw their API scores rise, but they still didn't hit their goals.

Nine schools, or 18 percent, met the goals set by state officials.

In all, 15 WCCUSD schools attained or surpassed the score of 800 set as a base goal by state educators.

The highest score was at Kensington Elementary School with 952. Right behind was Madera Elementary at 923.

The scores at those two schools actually declined slightly from last year. The scores at the three other schools in the El Cerrito-Kensington area improved.

The results for all WCCUSD schools can be found on this page on the superintendent's website.

School district officials did not respond to Patch requests for comment on the test results.

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.

Find out what's happening in El Cerritowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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.

Find out what's happening in El Cerritowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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 past 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 state Superintendent Tom Torlakson was quick to note that the statewide API for poor students and students learning English increased five points and one point, respectively.



Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here