STAR testing results
Inland Valley showed significant improvement in the 2009 Standardized Testing and Reporting results released Tuesday.
In San Bernardino County, students improved proficiency levels on the state test in every grade in English language arts. They also improved in 10 categories from grades 2 to 7 in mathematics, algebra, geometry, algebra II and total high school math.
The results show that 45 percent of students are English-proficient, which is up 5 percentage points from the previous year.
In math, 41 percent of students are proficient, up 4 percentage points.
In Los Angeles County, students showed even higher proficiency scores with 46 percent in English and 43 in math, up from 42 and 40 in 2008.
"I'm excited about the growth," San Bernardino County Superintendent Gary Thomas said. "This is the second time we've seen this much growth across the board in English-language arts and mathematics in seven years."
The STAR program, which began in 2003, tests students each spring in grades 2 through 11 in English, math, history and science.
Under the STAR program, California students attain one of five levels of performance on the CSTs for each subject tested - advanced, proficient, basic, below basic and far below basic.
The state Board of Education has established the proficient level as the desired achievement goal for students. The proficient level represents a solid performance.
However, students in both counties trail state averages, which report 50 percent of students are now proficient in English-language arts and 46 percent of students are now at the proficient or above level in math.
School districts in the Inland Valley showed up to an 8 percentage points increase in English and math in 2009, compared to 2008.
Etiwanda School District Superintendent Shawn Judson attributes the district's 7 percentage point growth in math to the new math material that was implemented district-wide.
"And we also had a week of training for the teachers in the new materials," he said.
The Rancho Cucamonga-based district also saw about a 7 percentage point increase in English.
"We didn't have new material for English but our teachers worked extremely hard at targeting instruction to where students need it," Judson said.
"In addition, all of our schools have intervention programs and district intervention, which focus on where students need to improve their performance, which helps."
Beside the across-the-board improvement by grade level, the county reported up to a 5 percentage point gain among all groups of students, particularly blacks, Hispanics and economically disadvantaged in English-language arts and a 4 to 5 point gain in math, Thomas said.
In the Ontario-Montclair School District, an 8 percentage point growth in both English and math left district officials pleased.
"We really had a tighter focus on student achievement and tightly aligned the curriculum throughout the district in preparation of the state test," said Scott Turnbull, OMSD's director II of standards and assessment.
Like Etiwanda, OMSD implemented a new curriculum for math, which has been proven to be successful, said Karla Wells, OMSD director of academic accountability.
Chaffey Joint Union High School District officials said the district - which covers Ontario, Montclair and Rancho Cucamonga - continues to show growth every year, said Jeff Ellingsen, Chaffey director of research/assessment.
"The number of students scoring advanced and proficient are up in 10 out of 14 areas, which will translate in a growth in Academic Performance Index scores," Ellingsen said.
Chaffey's high school students scored 25 percent proficient in all mathematics in 9th and 10th grades, up 3 percentage points from 2008.
Chaffey students also are 48 percent proficient in 10th grade science and 39 percent in all other science classes.
Ellingsen said despite the downturn of the economy and the cuts to education, the district is hopeful of the future.
"We are doing more with less," Ellingsen said. "Even with what we were going through we showed growth and I have no doubt in mind that we'll show this kind of growth next year."
In San Bernardino County, students improved proficiency levels on the state test in every grade in English language arts. They also improved in 10 categories from grades 2 to 7 in mathematics, algebra, geometry, algebra II and total high school math.
The results show that 45 percent of students are English-proficient, which is up 5 percentage points from the previous year.
In math, 41 percent of students are proficient, up 4 percentage points.
In Los Angeles County, students showed even higher proficiency scores with 46 percent in English and 43 in math, up from 42 and 40 in 2008.
"I'm excited about the growth," San Bernardino County Superintendent Gary Thomas said. "This is the second time we've seen this much growth across the board in English-language arts and mathematics in seven years."
The STAR program, which began in 2003, tests students each spring in grades 2 through 11 in English, math, history and science.
Under the STAR program, California students attain one of five levels of performance on the CSTs for each subject tested - advanced, proficient, basic, below basic and far below basic.
The state Board of Education has established the proficient level as the desired achievement goal for students. The proficient level represents a solid performance.
However, students in both counties trail state averages, which report 50 percent of students are now proficient in English-language arts and 46 percent of students are now at the proficient or above level in math.
School districts in the Inland Valley showed up to an 8 percentage points increase in English and math in 2009, compared to 2008.
Etiwanda School District Superintendent Shawn Judson attributes the district's 7 percentage point growth in math to the new math material that was implemented district-wide.
"And we also had a week of training for the teachers in the new materials," he said.
The Rancho Cucamonga-based district also saw about a 7 percentage point increase in English.
"We didn't have new material for English but our teachers worked extremely hard at targeting instruction to where students need it," Judson said.
"In addition, all of our schools have intervention programs and district intervention, which focus on where students need to improve their performance, which helps."
Beside the across-the-board improvement by grade level, the county reported up to a 5 percentage point gain among all groups of students, particularly blacks, Hispanics and economically disadvantaged in English-language arts and a 4 to 5 point gain in math, Thomas said.
In the Ontario-Montclair School District, an 8 percentage point growth in both English and math left district officials pleased.
"We really had a tighter focus on student achievement and tightly aligned the curriculum throughout the district in preparation of the state test," said Scott Turnbull, OMSD's director II of standards and assessment.
Like Etiwanda, OMSD implemented a new curriculum for math, which has been proven to be successful, said Karla Wells, OMSD director of academic accountability.
Chaffey Joint Union High School District officials said the district - which covers Ontario, Montclair and Rancho Cucamonga - continues to show growth every year, said Jeff Ellingsen, Chaffey director of research/assessment.
"The number of students scoring advanced and proficient are up in 10 out of 14 areas, which will translate in a growth in Academic Performance Index scores," Ellingsen said.
Chaffey's high school students scored 25 percent proficient in all mathematics in 9th and 10th grades, up 3 percentage points from 2008.
Chaffey students also are 48 percent proficient in 10th grade science and 39 percent in all other science classes.
Ellingsen said despite the downturn of the economy and the cuts to education, the district is hopeful of the future.
"We are doing more with less," Ellingsen said. "Even with what we were going through we showed growth and I have no doubt in mind that we'll show this kind of growth next year."
Leave a comment