Clayton Elementary and Middle Schools Exceed API Expectations; Clayton Valley High Doesn't

Clayton's elementary and middle school far exceeded state expectations with their Academic Performance Index (API) scores, which the state released Wednesday.

But at Clayton Valley High, where there was big push last year to improve its API score, the school continued to fall short.

The API is gauge used by the state to determine how districts and individual schools are performing in English-language arts and mathematics. The score is determined by results from the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) test and the California High School Exit Exam.

The target for schools to meet is an API score of 800. scored a 915, the sixth highest score out of the 30 elementary schools in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District.

scored an 857, which ranked it third among the district's 10 middle schools.

scored a 777, a slight improvement from last year's score of 776, and below schools in the state of similar demographics. (All the results for MDUSD schools can be seen here.)

CVHS administrators , starting the "Club 800" campaign to try and raise awareness on the importance of standardized tests.

The low standardized test scores at the school are one reason administrators and a trying to make Clayton Valley the first conversion charter school in the Bay Area.

In the state, 49 percent of California schools exceeded or met their API target. That is a record.

API scores showed continued improvement across the board, with statewide growth of 11 points, propelled by a 14-point gain among English learners and Hispanic students and a 10-point gain among African American students. Asian and white students posted gains of 8 and 7 points.

But, much like in Clayton, the API scores tend to go down at the higher grade levels.

Fifty-five percent of elementary schools, 43 percent of middle schools and 28 percent of high schools met or surpassed the state API target of 800.

“I applaud the hard work our students, teachers, parents, school employees and administrators are doing to improve — even in the face of severe cuts to school funding,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. “At school after school, and among every significant ethnic group, California’s students are performing better than ever. The failure here is in our politics, not our public schools.”