Schools

Albany School District Holds Ground in Latest API Scores

The Albany Unified School District's overall score in the 2013 Academic Performance Index (API) is largely unchanged from last year's. The largest individual school change was a 3.8 percent drop for Ocean View from 913 to 883.

A widely watched measure of California public school quality – the annual API (Academic Performance Index) – shows the Albany Unified School District as a whole with virtually the same score as last year.

The district's 2013 score is 894, up two points from the 2012 mark of 892. This year's results were released today, Thursday, by the state Department of Education.

The changes in individual school scores were larger, though all remained well above the California average score of 789 and the statewide Department of Education target of 800.

The API – reported on a scale of 200 to 1,000 – is derived largely from the standardized STAR tests taken the previous spring. High school scores also include the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE). (Here’s a detailed summary of the API from the California Department of Education.)

The largest increase in Albany was at Albany High, which rose from 852 to 860, and the biggest drop was at Ocean View Elementary from 913 to 883.

The district's highest API score is at Marin Elementary, which rose from 926 to 932. The lowest is Albany High.

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.

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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 state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson noted that the statewide API for poor students and students learning English increased five points and one point, respectively.

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

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