When ranked against their peers, Gilroy’s schools slipped
slightly compared to last year. Still, they remained near the
middle of the pack.
When ranked against their peers, Gilroy’s schools slipped slightly compared to last year. Still, they remained near the middle of the pack.
Every spring, the California Department of Education ranks public schools on two scales, ranging from one to 10. The first scale compares each school to all schools statewide and the second scale compares each school to 99 others with similar demographics.
This year’s scores, which are based on test data from the 2008-09 school year, show that six of the district’s 11 elementary and middle schools dropped at least a point, three stayed the same and two increased when compared to similar schools.
Of the district’s high schools, Gilroy High wasn’t assigned a similar schools ranking this year because it failed to test enough students last school year to receive a score on the Academic Performance Index, the state’s 1,000-point measure of performance on standardized tests and the basis for the similar schools rankings. Although Mount Madonna High School students participate in the standardized testing, the school is still too small to receive a similar schools ranking. But the Dr. T.J. Owens Gilroy Early College Academy, the shining star of Gilroy’s schools, earned perfect scores on both scales.
The academy received two 10s, coming out on top when compared to both its similar schools and all schools in the state. Additionally, out of the 22 early college academies in the state, Gilroy’s scored the highest, with an API of 894 – far beyond the state target of 800 – Gilroy Unified School District Superintendent Deborah Flores said.
“On the statewide rank and the similar schools rank, it’s great to have GECA as number 10,” Flores said. “We’re really proud of that.”
Eliot Elementary, a school that’s shown significant gains in recent years, was the only other Gilroy school to earn a 10 on either ranking. When compared to 99 similar schools, Eliot came out on top for the second year running. When compared to schools statewide, it received a five. Despite having one of the highest percentages of socioeconomically disadvantaged and English learning students in the district, Eliot managed to add 106 points to its API score over the last two years and, at 780, is only 20 points away from the state target.
Eliot is “definitely one of the areas to celebrate,” Flores said.
Ascencion Solorsano Middle School earned an eight on its similar schools ranking, down two points from last year.
Although most of the rankings were in line with what the school district expected, district administrators are looking into a few findings they believe may be off the mark. Jim Pisano, the district’s director of student assessment and program evaluation, is checking to make sure two elementary schools – Las Animas and Rucker – were appropriately matched to schools with similar demographics.
“We’re wondering if they were put into the right group,” Flores said. “When I saw those two, I really wondered why they’re so low.”
Rucker and Las Animas earned a two and a three, respectively, when compared to similar schools.
Flores was optimistic about the new API scores that will come out later this summer. Students completed taking their standardized tests today. New math and language arts programs adopted in the last two years should lead to higher scores, Flores said. Teachers started using a new math program, Envision, last school year and administrators have already noticed increased math scores.
“Usually, the first year of any adoption is a lot about learning to use the new materials, and the second and third year is when you see the results,” Flores said.
So far, four of the district’s schools have surpassed the 800 benchmark while the rest of the schools are at least above 730.
Similar schools rankings
California schools are ranked according to how they performed compared to schools with similar demographics. The schools are given a number based on what decile they are in. (For example, a ranking of 4 means that they performed better than 40 percent of similar schools.)
Elementary
Antonio del Buono
2008: 4
2009: 6
El Roble
2008: 3
2009: 4
Eliot
2008: 10
2009: 10
Glen View
2008: 8
2009: 6
Las Animas
2008: 8
2009: 3
Luigi Aprea
2008: 6
2009: 4
Rod Kelley
2008: 6
2009: 4
Rucker
2008: 2
2009: 2
Middle
Brownell
2008: 3
2009: 3
Solorsano
2008: 10
2009: 8
South Valley
2008: 7
2009: 6
High
Gilroy
2008: 5
2009: n/a
GECA
2008: n/a
2009: 10
