PUSD Posts 23-Point Gain on Academic Performance Index

Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) schools accelerated student achievement, met state and federal performance targets, and posted historic gains according to the 2009 Accountability Progress Report (APR) released by the California Department of Education.  PUSD’s overall score increased 23 points from the 2008 base, bringing the District’s average to 742.

“Today, we celebrate the individual student and the individual teacher in every one of our classrooms,” said Superintendent Edwin Diaz.  “The APR results confirm that using proven strategies for academic success resulted in exceptional gains in student achievement.  I applaud students, staff and parents for their hard work over the past year. ”

PUSD’s overall Academic Performance Index (API) of 742 represents a 22-point increase from 2008.  The number of PUSD schools with scores of 800 or higher increased from six to nine, and twenty-three schools scored above 700.   Fifteen schools showed API growth of 25 points or more, and 17 schools in the district met all API growth targets.  The API is a numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1000 with a statewide target of 800. Schools that fall short of 800 must meet growth targets set each year.  

Sierra Madre Elementary posted the district’s highest overall score at 889, followed by Hamilton at 868, and Willard at 860.  Eliot Middle School had the greatest one-year gain, increasing its score by 97 points.   Other schools with significant growth included Madison Elementary, up 48 points, San Rafael, up 47 points, and Altadena Elementary, with a 46-point gain.  Blair International Baccalaureate School led high schools with a 35-point increase.

In the federal 2009 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), which measures whether schools met requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, PUSD met 30 of 38 targets in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. The District met the graduation requirement of AYP with an overall graduation rate of 83.2 percent in 2008.  While overall scores are impressive, the data shows that meeting proficiency targets among specific student groups requires more focus in the coming year.   The district missed some proficiency targets for African Americans, Hispanics, English Learners, socioeconomically disadvantaged students, and students with disabilities.

“We are starting to see significant progress in schools with high percentages of low-income, English Learner and minority pupils, but we must intensify our focus on closing the achievement gap for Hispanics, African-Americans, English Learners and Special Education students,” said Superintendent Diaz.  “To ensure the achievement of all children, we need to take successful instructional strategies and apply them to the needs of individual students.” 

John Muir High School, which underwent a top-to-bottom reform last year, increased its API score, allowing the school to exit mandated state monitoring this year.  Intensive reforms will continue at Muir this year.  Districts or schools are identified for federal Program Improvement status when they do not meet all targets in ELA or Math for two consecutive years. In 2008, nine PUSD schools are identified as Program Improvement. 

“In the 2009-2010 school year, we will continue to accelerate middle and high school growth, increase the number of schools with API scores over 800, and continue to move PUSD’s overall score toward 800,” said Diaz.

The APR provides results from the state accountability system, the Academic Performance Index (API), as well as the federal accountability system, which consists of the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and Program Improvement (PI).