But for SUSD Superintendent Lane Weiss, it's tough for him to say whether these results are a sign that he represents a great school district.

The API is the centerpiece of statewide accountability, measuring both academic performance and growth of schools. A cornerstone of California's Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999, the API is a numeric index or scale ranging from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000. The state recommends a performance target for all schools of 800.

SUSD's cumulative API score of 936 is up 14 points from its 2002 score. Individual school scores within the district ranged from 925 to 947, each well above the state's minimum target of 800.

"All in all it's a pretty reliable and valid measure of growth," said Weiss. "This is so phenomenal to have scores this high."

Components of the API include the Standardized Testing and Reporting program, which includes the California Achievement Test and California Standards Test. STAR testing is held each spring for students in second through eighth grades. Testing subjects include language arts, reading, math and social studies. Weiss said the API is becoming more closely aligned with California's state education standards.

But Weiss said basic skills needed by children today in education include learning, reading, writing, computation, communication, problem-solving, creative thinking, personal management and group-effectiveness skills. And one criticism of the API is that it only reflects reading, writing and computation, rather than a child's complete skills or the "whole child," as Weiss said. Weiss stressed other skills—such as music, science and the arts, which are not included in the API—that students will still need in higher education as well as one day in the workforce.

"I try to keep test scores in context," Weiss said. "I'm not making big judgments based on one measure."

Another criticism of the API is that often the top scores come from some of California's most affluent cities. Weiss said children in SUSD often have parental support in enriching activities, such as the opportunity to travel or take private music lessons. Weiss said it's critical for him to look at the high-performing API schools that are from lower-income areas to find out what has been their key to success.

Placing second does not mean SUSD is going to stop trying to achieve excellence in education. Weiss said the students still need to work on their writing skills, and that will be a teaching focus in the coming year. Computation and a conceptual understanding of mathematics is one of the district's strengths.