The Report Card Is In For Benicia Schools

It's report card time again for Benicia schools and the marks are good, up a bit for most of the city's schools, which have long scored above the state's target.

Increases ranged from five points at Mary Farmar Elementary to 29 points at Benicia Middle School.  Robert Semple Elementary showed the only decline; its score was down 11 points.

In a few cases, there's some homework to be done. School district officials are studying ways to extend the elementary students' high marks all the way to high school. Over the past five years, the youngest students have outscored their elders every year.

"We're working on why that is," Superintendent Janice Adams said adding officials suspect continuity between curriculum needed to be improved. Already some changes in curriculum may be why Benicia Middle School students made a 29-point gain over the previous year.

"I'm proud of all the students in our schools and all our teachers," Adams said.  "Everyone is moving in the right direction but we have to keep working at it."

The state Monday released its annual  Accountability Progress Report (APR) gleaned from myriad sources including the high-stakes standardized tests given each spring. The state accountability system includes the Academic Performance Index (API), as well as the federal accountability system, comprised of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and Program Improvement  (PI). Both the API and AYP are based on results from the statewide Standardized Testing and Reporting Program and from the California High School Exit Examination.

While 46 percent of all California schools are now at or above the statewide API target of 800, all of Benicia's  schools are above that mark. Its districtwide API average is 842; the state average is 767.

School board President Rosie Switzer wasn't ready to talk about the report.  "I'm not going to comment on this until after the superintendent gives her report Thursday night," she said.

In addition to the API, each school is given a statewide ranking and a similar schools ranking. In the statewide ranking, Benicia schools all had scores of either 8, 9 or 10 out of a possible 10. Compared to demographically similar schools, the results were more mixed. Matthew Turner Elementary and Robert Semple Elementary both scored a 9 out of 10 in the similar schools survey, while Mary Farmar and Joe Henderson both scored a 6.  Benicia High scored a 7 and the middle school landed in the middle of the pack with a 5.

Henderson school dipped to a five-year low in the similar schools ranking. The school's API also has declined each year for the past five years.

The middle school failed to make it off the No Child Left Behind watch list for the second year because one statistically significant group of students – special needs students – did not make gains mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act.          

"It is neither fair to the students nor indicative of the effort put in by both students and teachers," Adams said.  "These are special needs kids.  If they had tested proficient for grade level, their learning disabilities wouldn't have been diagnosed and they wouldn't be receiving the extra instruction they need." 

Community members who say having excellent schools adds to quality of life in town lauded the schools' performances.

"Our high rated school district will help bolster real estate values even in hard times," said Alex Schauffert of New Standard Realty.