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IMPRESSIVE GAINS ON SAT 9 SHOW SAN DIEGO CITY
SCHOOLS MOVING IN RIGHT DIRECTION
The 2000 SAT 9 Scores for San Diego City Schools Students throughout San Diego City Schools registered impressive gains on the spring 2000 SAT9 (Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition), a state-mandated test given annually to all public school students grades 2 through 11 in California. The percentage of students who scored at or above the 50th percentile in reading jumped four points, to 47, from the 1999 SAT 9 figure of 43. The percentage gain in reading is six points since 1998, when the test was first given, translating to an additional 6,220 students at or above the 50th percentile. The percentage of students who scored at or above the 50th percentile in mathematics rose five points, to 54, compared with 49 in 1999. That’s a nine-point improvement over two years, and an additional 9,083 students at or above the 50th percentile. Over the past two years, the percentage of San Diego City Schools students scoring in the lowest quartile nationally in reading (the bottom 25 percent) has dropped seven points and 5,564 students. The percentage of students scoring in the lowest quartile in math has plummeted eight points and 7,327 students. In contrast, the percentage of students scoring in the highest quartile in reading (the top 25 percent) has increased four points and 3,515 students, and the percentage of students in the top quartile of math has soared eight points and 7,078 students. In the spring 2000 reading results, the district showed gains in all grades 2 through 11 except at grade 5, where scores remained constant. Over the past two years, there have been double-digit gains at grades 2 and 3, and notable increases at the middle school level. Mathematics scores rose impressively in all grades for the spring 2000 results. Over the past two years, there have been double-digit jumps for grades 2, 3, 4, 10 and 11. Quotes from Superintendent of Public Education Alan Bersin and Board of Education President Edward Lopez: "These results are a tribute to the tremendous work being done by our teachers to equip our students with the powerful gateway skills of reading and math necessary for academic success," said Alan Bersin, superintendent of public education for San Diego City Schools. Bersin leads the nation’s sixth-largest urban kindergarten-through grade 12 district, with 141,000 students. "We are moving in the right direction with our efforts. But we still have a long way to go and we must not forget that. I am confident that we can continue to make improvements as we have begun implementing our Blueprint for Student Success with its strong focus on literacy and mathematics, on early intervention for struggling students, and on strong and sustained professional development for all of our teachers." Board of Education president Edward Lopez said, "The improved test scores reflect the hard work and dedication of teachers and students. Our reforms implemented over the past two years are improving the quality of instructional programs across the district." Results for all California districts are available at the state Department of Education web site. What is the SAT 9? The SAT 9 measures how well students are learning basic academic skills. SAT 9 is a seven-hour series of multiple-choice tests given over several days in the spring as part of the state’s STAR program (Standardized Testing and Reporting program). It has been taken by hundreds of thousands of students nationally and, since 1998, by all public school students grades 2 through 11 in California, including those who are limited English proficient and students in special education. The SAT 9 series of tests measures reading, language, math and spelling for grades 2 through 8. The series measures reading, math, language, science and history/social science for grades 9 through 11. San Diego City Schools emphasizes the reporting of reading and math both because they are tested at all grades and because proficiency in these skills is the basis for improved student achievement in other subject areas. Limited English proficient students whose first language is Spanish and who were enrolled in a California public school less than 12 months when testing began were also required to take the Spanish Assessment of Basic Education known as SABE/2. There were 1,644 district students in this category. The district also chose to give the SABE/2 to some 5,500 additional students in elementary grades who study in the Biliteracy for Spanish Speakers program. SABE/2 results will be available later in the summer. How San Diego City Schools Uses SAT 9 San Diego City Schools uses the SAT 9 information as one part of the process to improve teaching and learning for students. The test scores serve as an important indicator of academic success in relation to students across the state and nation. However, some school subjects are not tested by SAT 9 or similar standardized norm-referenced tests. A full evaluation of a student’s academic performance requires teachers to consider student papers, projects, portfolios, classroom discussion and other types of assessments. Parents will receive results for their children by mail by early August. The mailing this year will include a California Reading List Number keyed to a list of state-recommended books appropriate to a student’s reading level. Parents can choose the appropriate books for their children according to the reading list number. Copies of the list will be available at all San Diego City Schools in the fall. The list is available on the Internet at www.startest.com. How the SAT 9 Is Scored SAT 9 results are reported as national percentiles. The results released by the district tell how many students at each grade scored at or above the 50th (median) percentile in reading and math. The national "norm" or average at each grade level is the 50th percentile. The norms represent the average scores from a national sample of students who took the test to establish benchmarks. San Diego City Schools compares its student, school and district scores against the national norms. How The State Uses SAT 9 The state will use the SAT 9 scores in determining how to award nearly $1 billion to students, teachers, principals and schools. The state Department of Education will compute Academic Performance Index (API) scores for all schools based on the SAT 9. Statewide, there is $350 million available for employees at all schools whose API scores increase 5% compared to last year. Schools that meet their 5% growth targets will receive $227 million for use in any way that they want. Teachers at schools with extraordinary gains, defined as 10% or greater on the API, are eligible for $100 million in bonuses. There will be $118.6 million for schools in the bottom half of the API index (1 to 5) to help recruit and retain fully credentialed teachers. The state will provide $118 million for merit scholarships for students in grades 9 through 11 based on their SAT 9 scores. For additional information, please contact David Smollar, Public Information Officer, at (619) 725-5578. |
