Los Alamitos Students Improve on Statewide Tests

schools improved their performance on statewide Academic Performance Index tests in 2011, according to newly released figures.

The only exception was Los Alamitos High School, where scores sagged slightly versus 2010.

Overall, the district's API score climbed from 904 last year to 912. And two groups posted perfect scores in mathematics — second grade at Lee Elementary and fourth grade at Weaver Elementary.

Superintendent Sherry Kropp said she was extremely happy with the results.

“We have a supportive [school] board, extremely talented teachers, hardworking students and a community that supports the schools," she said. "The entire organization has shown they are committed to trying new strategies, and continuing to find ways to make sure every kid is successful.”

This is the second round of API scores released this year. The Base API Report, which was , included growth targets and school ranks. The Growth API Report released last week focuses on whether those targets were met. The second report also determines whether a school needs intervention programs designed to help improve academic performance.

Statewide, the average API score increased by 11 points, from 767 last year to 778 in 2011, according to the California Department of Education. The scores can range from 200 to 1,000, with a target of at least 800.

According to the state, 49 percent of California schools met or exceeded that 800-point bar in 2010-11, compared to 46 percent in 2009-10.

The API measures student achievement through standardized tests in English, math, history/social science and science. Los Alamitos Unified, at 912, is well above the state average, but Kropp said that isn’t the bar her district aims for.

“We had two grades from two different schools that reached 100 percent proficiency, and that shows us that we can achieve this across the board,” she said. “We want to continue to work with each student until we are [all] at 100 percent.”

Statewide, 35 percent of elementary schools, 18 percent of middle schools and 41 percent of high schools met their federal Adequate Yearly Progress benchmarks — a slight decline from last year.

Under the No Child Left Behind law, schools are required to meet their annual Adequate Yearly Progress targets, which increase over time, with the goal of having 100 percent of students score proficient or above in 2013-14.

Los Alamitos met those targets at every school except Laurel High, its continuation school.

At the elementary school level, jumped from 927 to 949. climbed from 905 to 919, while and both had 13-point bumps, from 944 to 957 and 971 to 984, respectively. went from 911 to 918. rose from 938 to 944.

At the middle school level — jumped from 890 to 911, and climbed from 919 to 931.

rose from 683 to 687. fell four points, from 884 to 880, but Kropp said district officials are analyzing the data to make sure this does not happen again.

“We have pockets of students and schools that did great and pockets that didn’t,” she said. “We are in the process, with our teachers, of looking at the data and finding out where the problems are so we can fix it."