Editorials

State rankings are only one measure of schools

Los Gatos schools are a source of community pride. They're also a key reason for young families to move to Los Gatos--even when housing prices make such a move a sacrifice.

Real estate agents say that a house in the Los Gatos school district can easily fetch 20 percent more than the same house outside the district.

So it was no surprise to see schools in the Los Gatos Union School District rank 10--the highest possible ranking--in the Academic Performance Index (API) when compared to other schools throughout the state.

It was a surprise, however, to see much lower rankings when local schools were compared to those of like demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.

To their credit, administrators are taking the comparative rankings seriously--but are not overreacting. Although some parents expressed concern about the comparative scores during a recent board meeting, most parents seem not to be overly concerned.

This is the first year the statewide ranking system has been used, and everyone admits it will take several years to iron out the kinks. The comparative scores, for example, were based on data that has not been accurately collected in the past. Now that it is mandatory to collect the data, a comparison of like schools will be more accurate in the future.

Since the API has been mandated by the state as an attempt to improve education in California, it cannot be ignored. Still, it's important to remember that not everything a child learns in school can be measured numerically. There is much that multiple-choice testing does not measure.

The district has come up with a plan aimed at improving test scores. The plan includes new educational materials, expanded summer school programs, interventions for low-performing students and better preparation for test-taking.

That's good. Clearly, there is room for improvement. On the other hand, it is important to remember that the students in the district performed well above the state-appointed goal of 800. To spend too much time teaching students how to take a multiple-choice exam would be a disservice to the students.

Counselors and therapists warn that too many young people in our community already feel constant pressure to perform academically, to spend their entire school careers taking the right steps to be admitted to top universities.

School should not simply be about competition. There is a real danger that scoring well on the API will become the end-all of education in the state. If API ranking becomes the sole measure of how we evaluate education, education may end up being less about training young people to be responsible citizens and more about training young people to pass multiple-choice exams.

Photo: The Great Race

Partying with the nonagenerians

LGUSD administrators respond to parents' concerns about API comparative scores

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