Vote Of Confidence

PVPUSD students continue to perform at high level

The California Department of Education has released the 2012 Growth Academic Performance Index scores; the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District continues to achieve high scores. The district’s overall API increased four points, from 919 points on the 2011 base test to 923 on the growth test. “The percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced in both English language arts and math remains impressive,” district Superintendent Walker Williams said in a press statement. “We are also seeing positive results with the proficiency of most students from significant subgroups. This doesn’t happen by accident, our [transitional kindergarten through] 12 instructional programs are designed to help all students maximize their potential.” All the district schools were well above the state’s requirement of 800 points. The intermediate and high schools all showed gains from the 2011 base test, but six of the district’s 10 elementary schools had a decline in scores. The greatest decline was at Lunada Bay Elementary, where the students dropped 15 points, from 959 points on the base test to 944 on the growth test. Point Vicente dropped 12, and Montemalaga and Vista Grande each dropped 10 points. Silver Spur dropped two points and Dapplegray, one. Rancho Vista, however, had the highest growth of any school in the district with a 20-point jump, from 926 to 946. “You will see fluctuation, but there is stability in the program,” Martin Griffin, the district’s new chief academic officer, told the News. While the drops are not a major concern, district officials and school staffs have reviewed the data and identified areas that may require additional focus. The superintendent emphasized that the tests were not designed to adequately measure a student’s preparedness for college or the workplace. “In fact, that is why the state of California and the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District are transitioning to the Common Core State Standards and a more appropriately aligned assessment system by 2014-15,” Williams said. “Forty-five states have agreed upon a more rigorous set of standards that will help prepare students for success in career and college.” While the top-rated PV district continuously performs high above the state target, this year marks the first time a majority of California’s public schools met or surpassed the statewide target. Some 53 percent of schools scored at or above the API target, an increase of four percentage points over last year, according to the CDE. Ten years ago, only 20 percent of schools met or surpassed the target. “We’ve set a high bar for schools and they have more than met the challenge, despite the enormous obstacles that years of budget cuts have put in their way,” State Schools Superintendent Tom Torlakson said. “The incredible efforts of teachers, administrators, school employees, parents, and students should serve as an inspiration to us all. While there’s still more work to do, California’s schools have earned a vote of confidence.”