Improvement Continues in Academic Performance Index

Number of “High Performing” Schools Doubles in Five Years

• Coverage by San Diego News Network, San Diego Union-Tribune
  

The number of San Diego Unified schools classified as high performing by the state Department of Education has doubled in the past five years, according to the annual Academic Performance Index released today by the department.

An 800 score on the state tests classifies the school as high performing, according to the state. For the 2007-08 school year, 31 percent of San Diego’s schools had scores of 800 or above, up from 15 percent in 2002-03 school year.

“This is a great performance for those individual schools, showing the excellence we have in San Diego Unified,” said Supt. Terry Grier. “Other results, however, show that in some areas we have a long way to go.”

Performance of elementary schools improved, with 40 percent now at 800 or above, up from 19 percent in 2002-03.

Areas needing improvement include a decline in the number of schools at or above the state median and in schools’ rankings. Schools at the state median or higher declined from 57 percent in 2002-03 to 46 percent last year, while schools with a statewide rank of 9 or 10 declined to 17 percent last year from 19 percent in 2002-03. Schools with a 1 or 2 rank increased to 26 percent from 19 percent in 2002-03.

Individual school rankings are available online at the California Department of Education’s website on each school's information website and many individual school websites, and at a school's office.