For the first time ever, Los Alamitos Unified School District’s Academic Performance Index (API) cumulative score is over the 900 mark.
Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services Dr. Sherry Kropp told Board of Education members the good news during a Sept. 14 meeting. Kropp said with an entire team working together, getting great results is expected.
“Outstanding results like this are possible in Los Alamitos Unified because of our talented and highly skilled teachers and staff.
We also acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of our positive and hard working students, our supportive parents, and our involved community,” Kropp said. “Los Alamitos Unified is a great place to work, live, and go to school.”
As a whole, the district’s cumulative score was a 904, up 12 points from 2009 and 27 points from two years ago, according to LAUSD Director of Assessment Mark Johnson.
The district’s API score ranks second behind Irvine Unified’s 916, which is up eight points from last year. Irvine and Los Alamitos USD are the only two districts in Orange County to have district API scores above 900, according to a staff report.
Over the last eight years, LAUSD’s API score has gone up 95 points, Johnson said. The state standard for all schools is to have an API score of 800 or higher.
All six elementary schools have API scores over 900, led by Weaver Elementary’s 971 score out of a possible 1,000, the second highest score in Orange County.
Weaver was named a California Distinguished School for the third time last week, according to Principal Erin Kominsky. Weaver’s score is actually down nine points from 2009, but that only gives students, teachers and staff something to shoot for, Kominsky said.
Weaver, along with Hopkinson and Lee Elementaries, are in the top 25 overall in student performance in Orange County, according to a staff report.
Hopkinson Elementary was next with a 944, up one point from a year ago.
Lee Elementary’s score of 938 was 20 points higher than 2009. Rossmoor Elementary followed with a 927, up five points from 2009, and McGaugh with a 905, a 21-point increase.
One of the major success stories is Los Alamitos Elementary’s jump of 46 points from last year’s 865 to 911. The school held a ceremony for its achievement Friday morning.
McAuliffe Middle School had a two-point increase to 919 while Oak Middle School had a 19-point jump to 892. Los Alamitos High School’s score was an 883, up 12 points from a year ago. Laurel High School, the district’s continuation high school, was up 22 points from 2009 to 684.
The district also received positive results in its Average Yearly Progress numbers from the state. Johnson said the district met all 42 AYP requirements given by the state.
The LAUSD has approximately 230 English Learners (EL) students who are exceeding their growth targets and attaining proficiency on the California English Learners Development Test (CELDT).
Because of the district wide success and wanting to thank students, teachers and staff and the community for a job well done, Kropp said district schools are scheduling a celebration Oct. 6. Details for the celebration, which will feature different events at each school, are forthcoming.
“We are so fortunate to live and work in an area where people believe such success is possible,” Kropp said.
