This was the second consecutive year that the high school took a dip in its API scores dropping from 620 to 609, losing additional ground since the scores peaked at 631 in 2000­01.

Willow Glen High School Principal Elaine Farace said school officials are looking at the cause for the decreased scores, but noted that there was a contradiction in results with students' scores growing on the California Standards Tests, one of the three components the state uses to calculate API scores.

Farace said, the school's teachers focused mainly on the curriculum that applied to the California Standards Tests believing that this aspect would be the heavily weighted on the test. As a result of this emphasis, this portion of the API testing did show an increase with language arts scores rising 18 percent and math increasing 8.5 percent.

But Farace said administrators were thrown off because the high school exit exam was still factored into the results—10 percent of the score—even though passage of the exit exam has been deferred until 2006. And because of this deferral, Farace said the students didn't make a conscious effort to do well, with only 39 percent actually passing the exit exam for 2003­04 school year.

"Where we haven't shown growth is in the high school exit exam," she said. "Kids knew they didn't have to pass it."

The shifting weights of the different tests: the proficiency test, the standards tests—SAT-9—and the high school exit exam from year to year have made it difficult for schools to pinpoint one goal, and how to proceed she said.

"It's a bit like trying to hit a moving target," Farace said.

She said it was disheartening for teachers and students who focused on the state-mandated growth areas for the standards tests, but don't have increased API scores to show for it.

Latino and disadvantaged students' subgroups' overall performance went down in the last two years, while white subgroup scores dropped in 2002, but regained ground in 2003.

Farace said the number of English language learners and the mobility of the disadvantaged population affected these students' achievement levels and the school's overall score.

According to the API reports, the number of Latino students tested at the high school in 2003 increased by 60 students and the socioeconomically disadvantaged group grew by 115 students. Farace said 94 percent of the student body was tested in 2003, while only 88 percent was tested in 1999, which made the initial data a less accurate benchmark to compare with future testing achievement.

"We need to do work with kids," she said, adding that improving classes, adding extra support, a seventh period and tutoring software are all strategies. And putting more emphasis on the high school exit exam would also increase school scores, she said. All this extra effort will be increasingly difficult with the district's budget cuts, Farace said.

But while the high school is looking at ways to improve its overall performance, the middle school may have found an answer.

Willow Glen Middle School Principal Darla Briggs credits strong parent involvement and PTA support for the positive numbers at that level.

Briggs said the PTA showed its support during student testing by buying the teachers T-shirts that said "Show What You Know".

She also implemented a plan that raised the school's API growth from 612 to 641 after it fell 24 points in 2002. While the school's white subgroup increased 9 points, the Latino and disadvantaged groups skyrocketed 39 and 48 points higher, respectively.

"We met every target," Briggs said. "If the state had any money, we'd get financial awards."

Briggs said one-third of the students are English learners, but a focused strategy of teacher accountability and staff training—standard-based teaching and motivating students—helped the school achieve its growth.

"We're still a work in progress," she said, but added that if the school doubles its growth next year, the score will hit 700. If they reach that goal, Briggs promised the students would have the chance to "slime" her.

The school held motivational assemblies and showed clips of the film Rocky during the testing week.

"The kids get excited, they're really proud," Briggs said.