6 Newark Schools Exceed State Performance Targets

Six schools in Newark, California exceeded state performance targets last school year, according to data released Thursday by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.

Three elementary schools failed to meet the performance standards, with August Schilling Elementary falling notably short of the API target. The school earned a 717, losing 21 points from its 2012 Base API score of 738.

James L. Bunker Elementary earned the highest API score out of all the public schools in town, clocking in with a Growth API of 895. The school increased 30 points from its 2012 Base score of 865.

James A. Graham Elementary was the most improved school in Newark, gaining 45 points on its API score from 2012-13 with a 786.  

The API is a score ranging from 200 to 1,000 that measures how well students do on a variety of tests, including the California Standards Test and the state’s high school exit exam. The state has set 800 as the API target for all schools to meet. Here’s a detailed summary of the API from the California Department of Education.

Statewide, the number of California schools meeting the state target for student performance on standardized tests dropped by 2 percent.

In 2013, 51 percent of the state’s schools earned an Academic Performance Index score of 800 or above, compared to 53 percent the previous year.

Based on 2013 test scores, 56 percent of elementary schools, 50 percent of middle schools, and 31 percent of high schools are now at or above the 800 mark.

In the last decade, the number of schools meeting the target of an 800 API has increased by 30 percent.

The state’s overall API dropped two points to 789 from 791, but Torlakson was quick to note that the statewide API for poor students and students learning English increased five points and one point, respectively.