Serrano Intermediate Improves State Academic Rating

As educators at prepare for the school year's beginning in a week's time, they have some good news to keep them company.

The campus' high academic rating, based on a number of state exams, climbed another six points from 2010 to 2011, according to data released Wednesday by the California Department of Education.

The Academic Performance Index, which ranks schools on a scale of 200 to 1,000, grades each site on an annual basis on their progress toward a goal of 800.

According to the data for Serrano Intermediate, the middle school topped its 2010 score of 867 with a new record of 873.

That growth was reflected in improvements by demographic subgroups at Serrano as well.

Scores recorded by its numerically significant subgroups—students who are Hispanic, socioeconomically disadvantaged, English learners or disabled—all showed growth.

However, the school's English learners and socioeconomically disadvantaged students fell short of the growth goals set by the state, missing their target numbers by three and six, respectively.

Serrano is among the 43 percent of California's middle schools that met or exceeded their API goals for 2011, according to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. Overall, a record 49 percent of California's public schools met or passed the state's goals this year.