Record 82% of LBUSD Schools Meet State Goals

The percentage of Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) schools meeting the state’s ultimate goal of 800 on the API grew significantly this year, surpassing the state’s performance and rate of improvement. 

LBUSD’s share of schools meeting or exceeding the state goal is 54.5 percent, up six points over last year. Statewide, 49 percent of schools  met the state goal, a three-point increase over last year, according to information from State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson.

Belmont Shore area schools traditionally score well on the API, and the latest scores are no exception:

Naples Bayside Academy (K-5): Last year 948, up 14 points to 962.

Wilson High's scores climbed from 731 to 739.

Rogers Middle School API scores schoolewide were up 874 to 884.

For more schools, here's a link from the state's DataQuest site with school by school date on API:

http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/Acnt2011/2011GrthAPIdst.aspx?cYear=&allcds=1964725&cChoice=2011GDst1

For LBUSD, the latest results represent an important victory, considering the school district has cut more than $200 million from its budget over the past three years. LBUSD showed strong growth in the middle grades, where it had recently made several adjustments to curriculum and instruction.

“We saw some phenomenal gains this year in areas where we reworked instruction and provided additional professional development,” said Christopher J. Steinhauser, superintendent of schools in the LBUSD. “I’m extremely proud of our employees, parents and everyone who’s provided exemplary support to our students during these tough times.”

Some of the most improved middle schools, and their API point gains, include: Butler, 49; Franklin, 57; Hamilton, 42; Hoover, 55; Jefferson, 29; Lindsey, 51; Marshall, 49 and Washington, 35.

The middle schools implemented a number of changes aimed at improving student achievement last year, including self-contained sixth grade classrooms at many campuses. Such classrooms create a more gradual transition to middle school by allowing students to stay with one teacher for the entire day rather than switching from class to class.

Schools also placed more students into eighth grade algebra and provided the extra support needed to master this college gateway course. The result was that roughly 200 more students this year became proficient in eighth grade algebra compared to last year. To boost writing skills, the middle schools implemented a new Write for the Future program that builds upon the elementary writing program, Write from the Beginning.

The API is a numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000. While entire school districts also are rated with this index, the official number for LBUSD cannot yet be calculated accurately because the school district is still awaiting results for its 17 year-round schools, which have later testing schedules.