Four of the five public schools in Pacific Palisades improved their Academic Performance Index (API) scores, and Marquez Charter Elementary School made the most significant gains, according to results released on Monday by the California Department of Education. For the second year in a row, Marquez Elementary led the way among Palisades schools. In 2009, Marquez increased its score by 31 points to 906, and this year, the school improved its mark by 14 points to 920. API is a state standard that measures every public school’s progress from year to year, and it is based on test results from the Standardized Testing and Reporting program (STAR) and the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE). Students in second through 11th grade take a series of tests in math, English, history and science as part of the STAR program. The CAHSEE is first administered in the 10th grade, and students who do not pass can retake the test in the 11th and 12th grades. API scores range from 200 to 1,000, with the goal that all schools statewide reach 800. ‘I’m thrilled,’ Principal Phillip Hollis told the Palisadian-Post. ‘It shows the hard work we are doing despite the budget cuts.’ After the Los Angeles Unified School District cut the school’s funding for general and special education, Marquez parents raised enough money to pay for two teachers, which allowed the school to keep class sizes averaging 25 students. Hollis also credited his teachers, saying they do an excellent job of providing struggling students with additional help. He pointed to the success of the CATCH (Caring Adults Teaching Children How) program, where adult volunteers from the Palisades community mentor at-risk third, fourth and fifth graders in reading or math. About 35 students and 25 volunteers participated in the program. This school year, the CATCH program will be expanded to include the second grade, and teachers will continue to focus on technology by having their students use laptops and iPods in the classroom. Hollis hopes these efforts will improve the school’s API score even more.
CANYON ELEMENTARY
Canyon Charter Elementary scored the highest API score of all the Palisades schools with 956, which is four points higher than last year, and the school is among the top scorers in the state. ’I’m very proud of all the Canyon students and teachers,’ Principal Joyce Dara said. ‘Their hard work is reflected in the four-point gain.’ Dara attributes the school’s success to the fact that the teachers customize their teaching methods to meet every child’s needs. ‘The teachers also do a lot of project-based learning to give students authentic, real-life connections to what they’re learning,’ Dara said. The school also offers a learning lab, where teachers work one-on-one or in small groups with students, whom they have identified as needing additional assistance with their reading. ’It’s a way to catch our students, so they don’t slip through the cracks,’ Dara said, noting that the teachers continually assess their students on their progress. Dara also credits the parents for the high score. ‘It’s been proven that those children who have parental support do better than children without it,’ she said. This school year, the goal is to integrate more technology into the classroom. Nearly every classroom has Smart boards (interactive white boards), and the computer lab was recently updated with 36 new Mac computers. Teachers will also start using computer-based programs, Fastt Math and Scholastic Reading Inventory. ’They love it,’ Dara said of the students’ reaction to the technology. ‘And it keeps them engaged. It’s especially great for tactile learners.’
PALISADES ELEMENTARY
Palisades Charter Elementary improved its API score by two points to 930. ’I am so happy that we did well,’ Principal Joan Ingle said. ‘I am so proud of my teachers.’ The teachers not only challenge their students academically, but they provide emotional and social support, Ingle said. They teach the children critical-thinking skills and how to work together. She also attributed the school’s continued success to the parents, who raised enough money for three full-time teachers last year and two full-time teachers this school year.
PAUL REVERE
Paul Revere Charter Middle School made gains in its API score, improving by six points to 852. ’Our scores continue to improve each year,’ Principal Fern Somoza said. ‘We are always striving to improve teaching and instructional strategies in every classroom, contribute to the academic successes of all our students, and keep learning and achievement as our ultimate goals.’ On the Standardized Testing and Reporting program (STAR), 71 percent of students were proficient or advanced in English in 2009 and 2010. Sixty-four percent of students were proficient or advanced in math in 2010, compared to 60 percent in 2009. Somoza said she is especially pleased with Hispanic/Latino students, who increased their API score by 15 points to 769, and the students with disabilities, who increased their score by 18 points to 595. However, she was disappointed that the African-American students’ score fell by 14 points to 724 and English-language learners declined by 23 points to 702. Somoza plans to meet with her teaching staff to examine the data more closely and develop strategies for increasing those scores. ’I think we can always do better,’ Somoza said. Revere performed better than Emerson Middle School in Westwood, Palms Middle School in Los Angeles and John Adams Middle School in Santa Monica, but fell below Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica, which posted 893.
PALISADES HIGH
Palisades Charter High School’s API score dropped one point to 819. ’When a school hits the magic target of 800, which very few comprehensive high schools do ‘ there’s Granada Hills and PaliHi ‘ it’s easy to plateau,’ Principal Marcia Haskin said. Granada Hills Charter High, which is larger than PaliHi but has similar demographics, improved its score by 31 points to 874. Nearby University High, Santa Monica High and Venice High posted lower than 800. PaliHi’s students with disabilities realized the most significant decrease, dropping 61 points to 534. The English Language Learners declined by 32 points to 692; Hispanic/Latino students fell by six points to 760; and the socio-economically disadvantaged students dropped by 11 points to 754. On STAR, 68 percent of students were proficient or advanced in English in 2010 compared to 69 percent in 2009, while 44 percent of students were proficient or advanced in math compared to 48 percent in 2009. ’We will be focusing on the areas where we dropped,’ Haskin said, noting school leaders will also continue to strive to close the achievement gap between ethnic groups, which has widened. African-American students made academic strides, improving by seven points to 709. White students increased their score by eight points to 889 and Asian students by 14 points to 905. ’We are going to dig deeper and use our data to really inform our instruction,’ Haskin said. Her motto for the teachers this school year will be ‘intensity’ and ‘depth.’ ’This will be a turning point year for us,’ Haskin said.
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