SANTA MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED
SCHOOL DISTRICT
PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: Dr. Maureen Bradford FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
310.450.8338,
ext. 70333 31
AUG 2011
SMMUSD’s
Achievement Gains Boost API, but Fall Short in AYP
State
Superintendent Tom Torlakson today released California’s comprehensive
Accountability Progress Report (APR) for 2011.
This report encompasses both state and federal accountability metrics
for monitoring student achievement. Like
other districts across the state, Santa Monica-Malibu faces a paradox of
dueling accountability systems. The
state’s more nuanced and complex model demonstrates continuous progress and
gains. The federal government’s NCLB
model relies solely on student status as either proficient or not proficient
and ignores growth in achievement indicated by students’ advancement from one
performance level to another. U.S.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has acknowledged the difficulties in the
federal accountability system and is considering waiving some of the more
onerous aspects of the law. State
Superintendent Torlakson has said he would welcome relief from the federal
model’s “flawed accounting system.”
State Accountability and the Academic Performance Index (API)
For 2011, Santa
Monica-Malibu’s Academic Performance Index reflects an eleven-point gain over
2010, and now stands at an all-time high of 854. The state’s achievement target is 800, a mark
SMMUSD surpassed in 2005. SMMUSD continues
to outperform the state and the county as a whole on this complex metric of
student achievement.
SMMUSD Superintendent
Sandra Lyon enthusiastically endorsed the hard work of teachers, administrators
and support staff saying, “The 2011 API
report speaks to the professionalism and commitment of our classroom teachers,
school administrators, support staff and district staff. Based on these results, we will move forward
with our strategic plan to focus on specific programs and projects that will
yield continued gains for all students and effectively close the pernicious
achievement gaps that exist.”
California’s Academic
Performance Index is based on the California Standards Tests in English
language arts, mathematics, science and history. Schools and districts can increase their API
by advancing students up one or more of the five performance levels: far below, below, basic, proficient and
advanced. In addition, high schools and
districts are awarded points based on the number of tenth grade students who
pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE), a graduation requirement
for all California students. In 2011, 92
percent of SMMUSD tenth graders passed the CAHSEE math exam; 93 percent passed
the English exam.
The API for individual schools is shown below. All
SMMUSD schools, with the exception of Olympic High School, have exceeded the
state’s 800 mark. Olympic uses an alternative accountability system known as
ASAM. SMASH, the district’s alternative
campus, was not assigned an API, due to its relatively low participation rate. Malibu High School and Santa Monica High
School realized the greatest gains for 2011, with 27 and 18 points
respectively, while Lincoln Middle School’s API climbed above the 900 mark for
the first time.
SMMUSD 2010 Base and 2011 Growth API
|
Group |
Base
API 2010 |
Growth
API 2011 |
Growth
|
|
SMMUSD |
844 |
855 |
+11 |
|
African
American |
732 |
731 |
-1 |
|
Asian |
921 |
929 |
+8 |
|
Latino |
764 |
784 |
+20 |
|
White |
890 |
902 |
+12 |
|
Two or
More Races |
874 |
885 |
+11 |
|
Economically
Disadvantaged |
742 |
756 |
+14 |
|
English
Learners |
770 |
780 |
+10 |
|
Students
with Disabilities |
634 |
621 |
-13 |
The API for
individual schools is shown below. All SMMUSD schools, with the exception of
Olympic High School, have exceeded the state’s 800 mark. Olympic uses an
alternative accountability system known as ASAM. SMASH, the district’s alternative campus, was
not assigned an API, due to its relatively low participation rate. Malibu High School and Santa Monica High
School realized the greatest gains for 2011, with 27 and 18 points
respectively, while Lincoln Middle School’s API climbed above the 900 mark for
the first time.
SMMUSD Schools’ 2010 Base and 2011 Growth API
|
School |
Base
API 2010 |
Growth
API 2011 |
Growth
|
|
Edison
Language Academy |
877 |
882 |
+5 |
|
Franklin
Elementary |
954 |
957 |
+3 |
|
Grant
Elementary |
890 |
899 |
+9 |
|
John Muir
Elementary |
830 |
812 |
-18 |
|
Juan
Cabrillo Elementary |
869 |
884 |
+15 |
|
McKinley
Elementary |
891 |
893 |
+2 |
|
Point Dume
Elementary |
940 |
926 |
-14 |
|
Roosevelt
Elementary |
934 |
944 |
+10 |
|
Will
Rogers Learning Community |
818 |
828 |
+10 |
|
Webster
Elementary |
961 |
949 |
-12 |
|
John Adams
Middle School |
814 |
813 |
-1 |
|
Lincoln
Middle School |
893 |
902 |
+9 |
|
Malibu
High School |
835 |
862 |
+27 |
|
Olympic
High School |
649 |
560 |
-89 |
|
Santa
Monica High School |
787 |
805 |
+18 |
Malibu High Principal Mark Kelly, commented, “Students in both middle and high school programs showed
gains in English, science, history and mathematics. Our students deserve credit for taking the
exams seriously and doing their best. It
is what we ask of them and they give us their all. I am most proud of our teachers who worked
hard looking at the data from previous years and strengthening their focus on
specific areas in their classrooms.”
Federal
Accountability under NCLB
The report released today by Torlakson additionally
addresses the federal accountability system.
Under the No Child Left Behind Act, schools and districts that receive
federal Title I funding are held accountable for meeting Adequate Yearly
Progress (AYP). The AYP accountability
model differs substantially from the state’s system. AYP has a more narrow focus and is calculated
based on test scores in English language arts and math only. Students are counted either as proficient or
not proficient. This status model does
not reflect increases in the percentage of students who move from proficient to
advanced levels, nor does it acknowledge growth of students from the lowest levels
of performance up to the basic level.
Each year, proficiency levels are measured against
an Annual Measurable Objective (AMO).
The AMO for 2011 was 67 percent.
SMMUSD posted a 75.9 percent proficiency rate in English language arts
(ELA) and 71.4 percent in math. As shown
below, the AMO increases each year until 2014, when 100% of students are to be
proficient. As of 2011, SMMUSD has
managed to stay ahead of the rapidly escalating AMO for the district overall.
As with API, the federal accountability model
requires that schools and districts meet the AMO for numerically significant
groups of students. Here, SMMUSD has
fallen short of the mark because of gaps in achievement for students of color,
low-income students, English learners and students with disabilities.
NCLB Percent
Proficient for 2011
|
Group |
ELA Percent Proficient |
Math Percent Proficient |
|
SMMUSD |
75.9 |
71.4 |
|
African American |
55.2 |
45.0 |
|
Asian |
88.3 |
90.2 |
|
Latino |
59.8 |
53.5 |
|
White |
85.8 |
82.1 |
|
Two or More Races |
82.0 |
78.8 |
|
Economically Disadvantaged |
54.1 |
48.9 |
|
English Learners |
56.5 |
55.8 |
|
Students with Disabilities |
44.6 |
40.8 |
SMMUSD met
76 percent of the AYP criteria for 2011, but a miss in any one area for any one
subgroup results in not making adequate yearly progress. This is the second year in a row that SMMUSD
has missed AYP, and as a result, the district begins the process of Program
Improvement.
Program
Improvement districts are required to rewrite their plan for student
achievement. Director of Assessment,
Research and Evaluation Dr. Maureen Bradford noted, “We are looking at
research-based programs and practices, specifically those aimed at closing the
achievement gap. I can tell you that our
efforts to improve student achievement will not
rely on narrowing the focus of instruction to the tested items in English
language arts and math, nor on tedious test-prep drills. We will continue to offer students an
enriching and full curriculum, including our stellar visual and performing arts
programs. This is what our community
expects and deserves. Our teachers will
focus on improving instructional practices to create classrooms that engage all students in rigorous and relevant
learning experiences.”
Chief Academic
Officer Dr. Sally Chou further commented on the upcoming revisions in the
district plan for student achievement. “Our revised plan will ensure alignment
of our curriculum with the newly adopted Common Core Standards. We will provide professional development for
our teachers and administrators to sharpen their tools, including the use of
technology. What goes on in classrooms
makes the greatest impact on student achievement and the district office is
here to support classroom instruction.”
Schools that
receive Title I funds must also meet all AYP criteria. Each of SMMUSD’s four Title I schools –
Edison, McKinley, Muir and Rogers – missed one or more AYP criteria for
2011. Because Rogers had also missed AYP
in 2010, that school now enters Program Improvement. With increases in the percent of students
scoring at the advanced level and decreases in students at the lowest levels of
performance, Rogers’ API grew ten points in 2011. Yet, these accomplishments are not reflected
in the AYP status model of accountability.
Will Rogers
Principal Steve Richardson commented, “I
am tremendously proud of my entire staff.
This year, despite pressure from the potential Program Improvement
status, we maintained our focus on meeting the needs of every child. Our data
indeed show cohorts of students moving up performance bands across all
subgroups. We will continue our work
with great focus on high expectations, effective first instruction, and
creating safety nets so no child slips through the cracks.”
####
SANTA MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT
1651 16TH Street, Santa
Monica, CA 90404
ph: 310.450.8338; fax: 310.581.1138
www.smmusd.org