Most local schools improve on STAR tests

<p>By DAN JOHNSON </p><p>ARGUS-COURIER STAFF</p><p>The portion of students achieving proficiency in English improved in 11 out of 12 Petaluma City School District-Petaluma Joint Union High School District schools, and the percentage attaining proficiency in math improved in eight of the schools in spring standardized testing, based on student test results released on Friday. </p><p>The testing was part of the Standardized Test and Report-ing program, and the results were contained in the state’s annual Accountability Progress Report, consisting of two measures — the state Academic Performance Index and the federal Adequate Yearly Progress, designed to help enforce the No Child Left Behind Law.</p><p>“Our schools did very well in terms of the API. We improved in all areas, in all demographic subgroups,” said Ron Everett, director of curriculum for Petaluma City Schools. “Some sub-groups, such as English language learners and economically disadvantaged students, are really moving forward.”</p><p>Everett noted that Grant Elementary School, McKinley Elementary School, Petaluma Junior High School and Kenilworth Junior High School were among the schools making notable gains. </p><p>“The next step is for teachers and staff members to work together to see if the things that are working at some schools will work at other schools,” he said.</p><p>Four schools in the Petaluma City School District-Petaluma Joint Union High School District will remain under sanctions for not meeting their annual federal progress targets and eight schools failed to meet federal or state goals in the spring 2008 standardized testing.</p><p>Schools that receive federal funds are sanctioned if they fail to meet their academic targets for two straight years, and are given Program Improve-ment status. During the first year, the school must, when possible, offer student transfers with free busing. In the second year, schools are re-quired to offer free private tut-oring to low-income students.</p><p>Beginning in the third year, schools must consider such options as reopening as a charter school or replacing staff members.</p><p>McDowell Elementary School will be sanctioned for the fifth year, which means that the school could be restructured or taken over by the state. </p><p>“We will need to look at a plan for restructuring the school,” Everett said. “I’ll sit down with (Superintendent) Greta Viguie and the staff at McDowell to make sure we’re meeting the requirements of No Child Left Behind. The school already has made some major changes, but we’ll need to talk about what the next ones will be.”</p><p>Petaluma Junior High School is being sanctioned for the fourth year, and McKinley and Kenilworth are being sanctioned for the third year.</p><p>Petaluma Junior High and McKinley met their AYP targets, however.</p><p>“They’re in a holding pattern. If they meet their targets for two years in a row, they will move out of program improvement status,” Everett said. </p><p>Schools failing to meet their federal goals were: McDowell, Penngrove and Valley Vista elementary schools; Kenil-worth Junior High School; and Casa Grande and Petaluma high schools.</p><p>The schools not satisfying their state targets were: McDowell, Penngrove and Valley Vista elementary schools; Live Oak Charter School; Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley; and Casa Grande High School. </p><p>In the Old Adobe Union School District, Miwok Valley Elementary School didn’t meet its federal or state targets, and La Tercera Elementary School didn’t satisfy its federal goal. Also, Cinnabar Elementary School in the Cinnabar School District did not meet its federal or state goals.</p><p>All other schools in the Petaluma area — in the Petaluma City, Old Adobe Union, Dunham, Liberty, Two Rock, Waugh and Wilmar Union school districts — met their targets.</p><p>Due to steadily increasing requirements in the STAR program, many educators have expressed concern that it is likely that increasingly more schools will not meet all their goals in the next few years. Every school in California is expected to attain proficiency on all tests, and for all subgroups, by the 2013-2014 academic year.</p><p>“Certainly, this is a concern. We need to understand that there are groups in our schools that aren’t performing as well as they need to, and we need to find ways to help them improve,” Everett said.</p><p>(Contact Dan Johnson at dan.johnson@arguscourier.com)</p>