Willow Glen Resident
Education
Gardner has big task ahead, works toward 700 API mark
By Mayra Flores De Marcotte
Gardner Academy's 2005-06 Academic Performance Index scores jumped 61 points but the hike wasn't enough for the school to climb out of the bottom 10 percent of schools statewide.
The school's API score went from 563 to 623, but still has a 1 out of 10 ranking statewide with similar schools. Ten is considered the highest.
"We need to get up over 700 in order to bring our ranking up," principal Janis Hubbs says.
This would mean a 77-point jump for the 2006-07 school year, which would pull the school's ranking up into the 6 to 7 range. The task is formidable, but Gardner's staff is up to the challenge, Hubbs says.
"All the hard work that the kids, parents and ourselves are doing," Hubbs said, "I really feel that we'll make it."
The school already has developed strategies to pull its ranking up.
"Our teachers meet once a week to assess the students," she said. "They talk about what they can do to better help these students and what teaching strategies they could use in order to improve."
One is the Response to Intervention program, which helps teachers who need to reach the 20 percent of students who are struggling, Hubbs said.
"We have resource teachers and coaches who come in as well as teaching after class to target that 20 percent," she said.
The school also has implemented an eight-session Saturday school program for targeted students.
In addition, the school has extended its school days by half an hour as well as its school year by two weeks.
"This way we can have extra English language development for our English language learners," Hubbs said.
The California Department of Education released its 2006 API scores on March 27. The API, which is the statewide accountability system for public education, is scored on a scale of 200 to 1,000. The state of California has set 800 as its target score.
The similar school scores are the statewide rank of a school in comparison to 100 other schools with similar key demographic characteristics.
API Scores
Willow Glen schools in 2006 show a marked improvement on the API index.
Canoas Elementary -- 730 to 766 -- up 36 points.
Willow Glen Elementary -- 756 to 778 -- up 22 points.
River Glen Elementary -- 777 to 798 -- up 21 points.
Willow Glen Middle School -- 687 to 705 -- up18 points.
Ernesto Galarza Elementary -- 660 to 677 -- up 17 points.
Hacienda Environmental Science Magnet -- 845 to 858 -- up 13 points.
Willow Glen High School -- 668 to 680 -- up 12 points.
Booksin Elementary -- 882 to 888 -- up 6 points.
Schallenberger Elementary -- 811 -- no change.
Hammer Montessori Elementary -- 786 to 783 -- down 3 points.
