Few local schools meet U.S. guidelines

<p>Achievement is in the eye of the analyst when it comes to state test result data released last week by the California Department of Education. </p><p>The majority of Petaluma schools have, like the majority of Sonoma County schools, met the goal of 800 out of 1,000 on the state's Academic Performance Index, and many of those that missed aren't far off the benchmark. </p><p>Sonoma County schools API is 787, nine points higher than the state average. The report shows that 54 percent of Sonoma County schools have reached or exceeded the state API target of 800, the same percentage as last year. Statewide, 49 percent of schools are at or above 800.</p><p>However, based on the Adequate Yearly Progress standards, only a few Petaluma and Sonoma County schools are meeting the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind law.</p><p>The federal standards use rapidly rising criteria that require all students — including students in subgroups such as those learning English, students with disabilities and students who are socio-economically disadvantaged — reach proficiency by 2014.</p><p>The federal standards required that 66 to 68 percent of students test proficient in English-language arts and mathematics in 2010-2011, an 11 percent jump from 2010.</p><p>“It doesn't make any sense,” said Steve Bolman, Petaluma City Schools Superintendent. “They need to come up with a more realistic mode of evaluating schools' performance.”</p><p>He points out that the Petaluma district, as a whole, had an API score of 810, meeting the state proficiency standard. However, only three schools met the federal criteria.</p><p>“It's unrealistic,” agreed Cynthia Pilar, superintendent of the Old Adobe School District. If you fail in one subgroup, you fail. You have 27 ways to fail.”</p><p>Two of Old Adobe's schools, Old Adobe and Sonoma Mountain, had better than 800 API scores, while La Tercera and Miwok were slightly below the state proficiency standard. None of the four met the federal guidelines. </p><p>“I'm very happy (with the API scores),” said Pilar. “We saw some real gains.” </p><p>Pilar said the district is striving not only to have students reach the API benchmarks, but to excel. “We are very interested in not only moving students to proficient, but in ways we can move them to advanced.”</p><p>In the Petaluma City Schools District, 2011 API scores by school were: Grant 912, Live Oak 817, Mary Collins 810, McDowell 770, McKinley 743, McNear 861, Penngrove 843, Valley Vista 818, Kenilworth Junior High 821, Petaluma Junior High 843, Petaluma High School 817 and Casa Grande High School 796. </p><p>In the Old Adobe School District, API scores were La Tercera 779, Miwok 775, Old Adobe 855 and Sonoma Mountain 878.</p><p>In the Waugh School District, API scores were Corona Creek 881 and Meadow 914.</p><p>Other API scores for local schools were 883 for Wilson, 785 for Dunham, 869 for Two Rock and 909 for Liberty. </p><p>(Contact John Jackson at johnie.jackson@arguscourier.com)</p>