two schools, officials said. Given these hurdles, district officials are
still thrilled with the progress.
In the high school district, all of the schools' numbers increased,
with Fountain Valley High coming out on top with 765.
Although none of the district's schools have reached the state's
target yet, they all surpassed the growth target.
And district officials are pleased.
"We are as a district and as individual schools doing a good job in
having incremental increases over years," said Jerry White, director of
curriculum development. "We don't want huge jumps; we want steady
increases."
These stable increases show the district's changes will make
long-lasting differences that will prove to be more effective, White
said.
Westminster, which scored at the bottom of the district with 601, had
the biggest leap from last year with an increase of 57 points. White
attributes the jump to a emphasis on reading. About 70% of the students
at Westminster are English-learners. Enhancing reading skills helps these
students in English, which in turn aids them when taking standardized
tests.
Earlier released results for the Fountain Valley school district
ranged from 763 to 892. All the scores rose this year, with nine of the
district's 11 schools surpassing the state's target.
Ocean View's scores ranged from 490 to 874, with four of its schools
scoring above 800. All but one school, Westmont Elementary, saw gains of
14 to 69 points.
Depending on growth and scores, districts will receive funding from
the state. Amounts are to be determined in January.
For a complete breakdown of the scores by district and school, visit
the state's Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/psaa/api/
