District schools gain points on state tests
'There's a lot to celebrate,' interim superintendent says
By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com

Pleasant Valley schools posted a seven-point gain, moving from 837 to 844, in Academic Performance Index (API) rankings recently released by the California Department of Education.

To view the entire report on the Internet, go to http:// api.cde.ca.gov, click on Testing and Accountability and then Accountability Progress Reporting.

The API ranks schools statewide on a scale from 200 to 1,000 points based on results from the Standardized Testing and Reporting program, the California Alternate Performance Assessment and the California High School Exit Exam. The goal for all California schools is 800.

"There's a lot to celebrate- Pleasant Valley is a strong academic system," Superintendent Luis Villegas said.

Eight of the district's schools increased their API score. Los Senderos Open School posted the district's highest gain of 39 points, going from 839 to 878. In June, however, the district restructured and renamed the alternative program and moved it to another campus.

Five schools- Los Primeros Structured School, Las Colinas Middle School and Dos Caminos, Las Posas and Tierra Linda elementary schools- however, lost ground in the API.

Down from 808 to 795, Dos Caminos had the largest drop in the district.

Although Dos Caminos' score dropped, it saw a 31-point gain last year. Assistant Superintendent Barbara Davis said parents shouldn't be alarmed when a school posts a slight loss after a large gain because a school's progress is better assessed by comparing API scores over a couple of years.

Viewing it from that perspective, the elementary school increased by 18 points over the last three years, she said.

"You're going to see variances from year to year," Davis said.

Santa Rosa Technology Magnet School posted the top score in the Pleasant Valley district with 900 points.

The kindergartenthrougheighth-grade school gained six points this year and is the only school in the district to reach that milestone.

Davis said the district wants to see all schools continue to make steady gains, even those already postinghighAPIscores.Mos t school districts in Ventura County posted modest gains in the API.