“That’s what we have in place at Isbell and we’re really working hard with our English learners because those English learners are part of several different demographic sub-groups. We believe that if we can improve their language fluency they’ll do better in all the core academic areas. That’s our strategy for Isbell and the district as well.”
The Academic Performance Index is the cornerstone of California’s Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999. The API is an important part of the federal measure of Adequate Yearly Progress because it shows academic growth over time. The API is a numeric index between 200-1000 that reflects a school’s performance on tests in the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program and the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE).
AYP is the measuring stick of the current federal accountability system passed as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This act required schools or LEAs that receive Title 1 funds to be identified for Program Improvement if they do not meet their AYP targets for two consecutive years.
AYP targets increase automatically each year and it is becoming more difficult for schools and districts to meet these measures. By 2014, 100% of students are expected to perform at the proficient or advanced level on all state tests.
The estimated numbers for 2012 show that four Santa Paula schools will meet AYP criteria for English Language Arts and two meet Math criteria.
