CVHS API score improves
Castro Valley High School’s API score improved 13 points in 2012, reaching 826 out of 1,000 points possible.
According to the California Department of Education’s Academic Performance Index, CVHS scored an 8 out of 10 compared to all state schools, but scored just 3 out of 10 in comparison to similar schools.
About 65 percent, 70 percent, and 60 percent of students at CVHS scored at the proficient level in English, science, and history respectively. There were 10 percent more students scoring at the proficient level than the state average in these subjects. However, the school scored about 10 percent lower than the state average in mathematics. Only 40 percent of students scored at the proficient level.
“The school is below the state average in mathematics,” said Steinecke. “This is a big negative.”
More CVHS students qualify for University of California schools than the average for students in the state.
“Out of a class of 700 students, we have 210 students not meeting the a-g requirements,” said Steinecke. “We have made good strides. The STAR test identifies areas where we need improvement.”
The STAR test has been an annual occurrence in the lives of students. Without a doubt, STAR testing will continue to be memorable for all students at CVHS for the years prior to 2015.
During the 2014-2015 school year, the STAR test will be replaced by Smart Balance Assessment Consortium (SBAC). The computerized test can be administered at any time during the last 12 weeks of school. The test will be a multiple choice test with mathematics and English language arts / literacy. The test employs computer adaptive testing (CAT) which will proceed to make questions easier or harder as students take the test, adjusting the test to assess each student.
The test will have a library of questions created by teachers to use. Although the actual length of the test is unknown, computerized tests can be shorter than traditional tests. Only students in third grade to eighth grade and students in eleventh grade will need to take the test.
This is good news for future students, but it has some seniors getting resentful.
“Why didn’t we have this sooner?” complained senior Sarah Kim. “I want my time back.”