Many school districts across the South Bay have exceeded performance goals, according to data released Tuesday by the State Department of Education.
The Academic Performance Index, or API, calculates school performance based on student scores on standardized tests.
The top scorers on the API were, once again, Hermosa Beach City, Manhattan Beach and Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified school districts.
Scoring at the bottom was Centinela Valley Union High School District, with an overall growth score of 626, up eight points from the year before.
The State Department of Education reports that 42 percent of schools met the state's target score of 800. Last year, 36 percent of schools hit that target and, overall, schools showed an 8 percent gain in 2008-09. Locally, the biggest gains were made by the Lennox, Lawndale and Wiseburn Elementary school districts.
"More students in California are meeting the challenge of higher expectations," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell in a Tuesday morning teleconference with reporters.
The department also reported the achievement gap between African-American and Latino students and their white and Asian peers has decreased slightly.
Look for the full story in tomorrow's edition.
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