Release: #05-36
March 15, 2005

Contact: Pam Slater
E-mail: communications@cde.ca.gov
Phone: 916-319-0818

BURBANK — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today released the 2004 Academic Performance Index (API) Base results, growth targets, and school rankings for more than 8,000 eligible California schools.

"The API is a powerful tool for holding our schools publicly accountable for student achievement and setting measurable goals for improvement each year," said O'Connell.

"Even when faced with budget limitations, California's school administrators, teachers, and students should set their sights high and stay focused on achieving at higher levels. I also call on the broader community of businesses, higher education, and civic leaders to support their public schools with the goal of greater student success," he said.

Schools are expected to meet their annual API growth targets during the 2005 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) and California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) examinations. The academic performance and progress of schools are measured by using a numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1000. The growth target for a school is 5 percent of the difference between a school's API Base and the statewide performance target of 800.

Schools are also ranked academically on a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the highest) to determine a school's standing compared to other schools statewide (statewide ranks) and to schools with similar characteristics (similar schools ranks). The similar schools characteristics include average class size, percentage of students who are English learners, percentage of teachers who hold emergency credentials or are fully credentialed, student mobility, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

It is important to note that there will always be schools ranked 1 and schools ranked 10 because of the nature of the decile system. Ten percent of schools will always be in each decile.

The API reports school performance on student assessments that are a part of the STAR program, plus results from the CAHSEE. Changes in the 2004 API Base include the addition of the California Standards Test (CST) Science, grade five; and CST History-social science, grade eight. As in the past, the API includes CST English-language arts as well as CST Mathematics for grades 2-11, CST Science for grades 9-11, CST History-social science for grades 10-11, and CAHSEE grade 10.

A change in the administration of the Norm Referenced Test (NRT), California Achievement Test, Sixth Edition Survey (CAT/6), affects the calculation of the 2004 API Base. Beginning with the 2005 administration of the CAT/6, only students in grades three and seven will take this test. In previous years, students in grades two through eleven were tested. The reduction in the number of grade levels with NRT test results means that the 2004 API Base indicators, weights, and calculations need to match the 2005 API Growth. As in the past, only tests given in the Growth year API are included in the Base year API.

Also, the majority of weight is placed on CSTs and the CAHSEE that are specifically geared toward California's high standards. The remainder of the weight continues to be placed on the nationally normed CAT/6. By placing limited weight on the nationally normed test, it is then possible to focus on testing to California's high standards while maintaining the ability to benchmark our students against the nation's school children.

Two changes occurred to bring the API more into alignment with No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This includes a change in the school mobility rule and a slight change in the definition of a significant subgroup.

Because the 2004 API Base includes CSTs at new grades, CAT/6 results at fewer grades, and because the calculation of the 2004 API Base is different from the 2003-04 API Growth released last October, any comparison between the 2004 API Base and 2004 API Growth would be inappropriate.

The 2004 API Base results and school rankings are posted at: Academic Performance Index (API). The 2004 API Base Report Information Guide is available at: Academic Performance Index (API).

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Attachment A

Reasons Why Some Schools Did Not Receive 2004 API Base Results

Description	Number of Schools	Total
Schools Receiving 2004 API Base Report		8,329
Schools Without 2004 API Base Report
-- Excessive Parent Waiver	45
-- Testing Irregularities Reported by Districts	13
-- Not a Significant Percentage of 2004 STAR Scores in a Content Area	249
-- Very Small Schools (Fewer Than 11 Valid Scores)	572
Subtotal		879
Total: All Schools		9,208

March 15, 2005

Attachment B

Percentage of Schools with 2004 and 2003 API Base
at or Above the Performance Target of 800

Description	Percent 2004	Percent 2003
Elementary Schools	26.4%	26.3%
Middle Schools	17.3%	15.6%
High Schools	7.0%	7.4%
Small Schools	11.3%	14.8%
All Schools	21.4%	21.7%

March 15, 2005

Attachment C

Proportion of Schools With 1999-2004 API Base Results
at or Above the Interim Statewide Performance Target of 800

Year	Elementary Schools	Middle Schools	High Schools
1999	0.1305	0.1071	0.0492
2000	0.1987	0.1378	0.055
2001	0.2094	0.1457	0.0525
2002	0.201	0.127	0.04
2003	0.263	0.156	0.074
2004	0.264	0.173	0.07

Attachment D

Median Scores on Base API
Elementary School

Year	Score
1999	629
2000	675
2001	689
2002	699
2003	728
2004	730

Attachment E

Median Scores on Base API
Middle School

Year	Score
1999	633
2000	657
2001	668
2002	667
2003	685
2004	696

Attachment F

Median Scores on Base API
High School

Year	Score
1999	620
2000	636
2001	635
2002	643
2003	658
2004	668