Vallejo elementary, middle and high schools students score higher in state testing
August 16, 2005
Vallejo students score higher in state testing
By SARAH ROHRS, Times-Herald staff writer
Vallejo school district students in elementary, middle and high schools showed marked improvement in math and English over previous years, according to state test scores released Monday.
The 2005 California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) results for Vallejo mirror statewide trends of more students reaching the two top academic tiers outlined in the test.
State Superintendent of Instruction Jack O'Connell's took special note of Vallejo City Unified School District's gains. After issuing a $60 million bailout loan, O'Connell appointed State Administrator Richard Damelio to improve Vallejo's budget and student achievement.
"I'm pleased to see remarkable gains in mathematics in nearly every grade and solid improvement in English language arts," O'Connell said in a press release.
Monday, the California Department of Education also released the 2004-05 California High School Exit Exam results, which estimates 88 percent of 2006 seniors will graduate.
In Vallejo, 65 percent of 10th graders passed the math portion of the test, and 71 percent passed the English part. The number of 2006 seniors who still need to pass the test won't be available until fall, district spokeswoman Tish Busselle said.
Vallejo's STAR scores are the highest they've been in the last three years. They are broken into five levels - advanced, proficient, basic, below basic and far below basic. The goal is get more students in the advanced and proficient levels.
Districtwide, 31.3 percent of Vallejo's students reached advanced and proficient levels in English - a 4.6 percentage point increase over last year.
In addition, 26.4 percent of the students were in advanced and proficient levels in math, a 5.1 percentage point increase from last year.
Test scores also showed fewer students overall falling into the below and far below basic levels, though in some grades this number was flat over last year.
Busselle said the improvement is a "pleasant surprise."
"We had a lot of things going on this year. We thought we'd be lucky to hold our own this year," Busselle said.
Director of Student Assessment Mike Cheap said such marked improvement in scores from one year to the next is unusual. "You just don't get that much of an improvement in one year," Cheap said.
The 2005 test scores show Vallejo's elementary schools making the biggest gains in math and English.
While high school students saw math increases, their scores took a big dip in 2004. The 2005 scores are, for the most part, on par with 2003 STAR scores.
Busselle said the gains can be credited to a greater focus on academic improvement, plus new textbooks, plus teachers used pacing guides and doing regular assessments to see how much students are learning.
High school teachers will do assessments next year, and will also have a new math program, Busselle said. The high school curriculum will also be more rigorous, aligned to meet college requirements.
Another theory for Vallejo's gains is its boost in attendance over last year. Cheap said students were in class an average of nine more days.
While district officials hailed the scores as a good sign of progress, they conceded that too many students are still in the below and far below basic levels, particularly at the middle and high school levels.
In eighth grade math scores, for example, 55 percent of the students are in the bottom two levels, and 56 percent in the sixth grade. In third grade English, 48 percent scored in the two bottom levels.
Even so, Busselle and Cheap said the percentage of students with lower scores is decreasing, not increasing.
"We're moving in the right direction," Cheap said.
Gains were experienced at most district schools, Busselle said. That means that results at one school did not skew the district's overall results.
However, not everything is rosy for all students in California.
Although California's four major ethnic groups statewide showed progress, the so-called "achievement gap" remains unacceptably wide, O'Connell said at a Los Angeles press conference.
African-Americans and Hispanics increased their scores, but are still scoring lower than whites and Filipinos, he said.
In Vallejo, African Americans had 4.1 percent more reaching the top two levels, while Hispanics saw a 4 percentage point increase. White and Filipino students increased 6.6 points.
Similar gains were made in English. African-Americans saw a gain of 4.9 percentage points, and Hispanic students a 2.8 percent gain. Whites increased by 4.5 percent, and Filipinos 5.5.
But the achievement gap in Vallejo is evident. Across the board, Filipinos are the highest achievers in math and English with white students following close behind. Hispanics and African Americans score below them.
Busselle said the district will introduce new intervention programs to help these students next year. The goal is to accelerate their learning so that they can catch up with the others.
In a press release, Damelio said he was pleased with the test results and said he believes staff are on the right track.
"I am pleased that all levels, grades and groups along with the vast majority of schools are improving. The credit belongs to all of those who have been part of last year's improvement efforts," he said.
- E-mail Sarah Rohrs at srohrs@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6832.
Vallejo students score higher in state testing
By SARAH ROHRS, Times-Herald staff writer
Vallejo school district students in elementary, middle and high schools showed marked improvement in math and English over previous years, according to state test scores released Monday.
The 2005 California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) results for Vallejo mirror statewide trends of more students reaching the two top academic tiers outlined in the test.
State Superintendent of Instruction Jack O'Connell's took special note of Vallejo City Unified School District's gains. After issuing a $60 million bailout loan, O'Connell appointed State Administrator Richard Damelio to improve Vallejo's budget and student achievement.
"I'm pleased to see remarkable gains in mathematics in nearly every grade and solid improvement in English language arts," O'Connell said in a press release.
Monday, the California Department of Education also released the 2004-05 California High School Exit Exam results, which estimates 88 percent of 2006 seniors will graduate.
In Vallejo, 65 percent of 10th graders passed the math portion of the test, and 71 percent passed the English part. The number of 2006 seniors who still need to pass the test won't be available until fall, district spokeswoman Tish Busselle said.
Vallejo's STAR scores are the highest they've been in the last three years. They are broken into five levels - advanced, proficient, basic, below basic and far below basic. The goal is get more students in the advanced and proficient levels.
Districtwide, 31.3 percent of Vallejo's students reached advanced and proficient levels in English - a 4.6 percentage point increase over last year.
In addition, 26.4 percent of the students were in advanced and proficient levels in math, a 5.1 percentage point increase from last year.
Test scores also showed fewer students overall falling into the below and far below basic levels, though in some grades this number was flat over last year.
Busselle said the improvement is a "pleasant surprise."
"We had a lot of things going on this year. We thought we'd be lucky to hold our own this year," Busselle said.
Director of Student Assessment Mike Cheap said such marked improvement in scores from one year to the next is unusual. "You just don't get that much of an improvement in one year," Cheap said.
The 2005 test scores show Vallejo's elementary schools making the biggest gains in math and English.
While high school students saw math increases, their scores took a big dip in 2004. The 2005 scores are, for the most part, on par with 2003 STAR scores.
Busselle said the gains can be credited to a greater focus on academic improvement, plus new textbooks, plus teachers used pacing guides and doing regular assessments to see how much students are learning.
High school teachers will do assessments next year, and will also have a new math program, Busselle said. The high school curriculum will also be more rigorous, aligned to meet college requirements.
Another theory for Vallejo's gains is its boost in attendance over last year. Cheap said students were in class an average of nine more days.
While district officials hailed the scores as a good sign of progress, they conceded that too many students are still in the below and far below basic levels, particularly at the middle and high school levels.
In eighth grade math scores, for example, 55 percent of the students are in the bottom two levels, and 56 percent in the sixth grade. In third grade English, 48 percent scored in the two bottom levels.
Even so, Busselle and Cheap said the percentage of students with lower scores is decreasing, not increasing.
"We're moving in the right direction," Cheap said.
Gains were experienced at most district schools, Busselle said. That means that results at one school did not skew the district's overall results.
However, not everything is rosy for all students in California.
Although California's four major ethnic groups statewide showed progress, the so-called "achievement gap" remains unacceptably wide, O'Connell said at a Los Angeles press conference.
African-Americans and Hispanics increased their scores, but are still scoring lower than whites and Filipinos, he said.
In Vallejo, African Americans had 4.1 percent more reaching the top two levels, while Hispanics saw a 4 percentage point increase. White and Filipino students increased 6.6 points.
Similar gains were made in English. African-Americans saw a gain of 4.9 percentage points, and Hispanic students a 2.8 percent gain. Whites increased by 4.5 percent, and Filipinos 5.5.
But the achievement gap in Vallejo is evident. Across the board, Filipinos are the highest achievers in math and English with white students following close behind. Hispanics and African Americans score below them.
Busselle said the district will introduce new intervention programs to help these students next year. The goal is to accelerate their learning so that they can catch up with the others.
In a press release, Damelio said he was pleased with the test results and said he believes staff are on the right track.
"I am pleased that all levels, grades and groups along with the vast majority of schools are improving. The credit belongs to all of those who have been part of last year's improvement efforts," he said.
- E-mail Sarah Rohrs at srohrs@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6832.
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