en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:32:22 GMT 15 By Marc Albano
Not only does the California STAR test (Standardized Testing and Reporting) impact students every year by bearing directly upon their high school elective courses and college acceptance, but often affects their parents’ home property values. “The myth that it doesn’t mean anything is just a myth,” Clayton Valley Principal Gary Swanson stated. “It really does mean something and it really does affect every person on this campus” Inferior STAR scores also have a direct effect on our school’s API (Academic Performance Index). Our API was last reported to be 718--- 82 points short of the desired 800 mark. Due to CV’s low API however, the school has been forced to remove numerous elective classes in favor of more intervention-type courses. These support classes are designed to help students who struggle learn basic fundamental skills that their STAR tests say they lack. This is a central reason why so many students find it difficult to transfer into more desirable elective courses. Meanwhile, teachers have also been shifted to teach other subjects or even left out of work with the growing number of intervention-type classes. CV’s STAR scores also affect applications for college. Last spring, the merit of the exit exam was questioned by many students in a variety of California schools. Tecause students who earned the required number of credits were unable to pass it. Many argued that they were not taught sufficiently enough to be prepared for the test. “They were interviewing students with a G.P.A. of 3.6 and they couldn’t pass the exit exam,” Swanson said. “I can assure you that the API of their school wasn’t 800.” Swanson went on to elaborate, “G. P. A.’s don’t mean anything unless there’s other documentation to back up the validity. That’s the reputation of the school; it’s all based on the API.” The API of a school may also influence the prices of the homes in its community. Families buying a home in a new community consider and understand the level of education is available to them in the given area. If schools have a high API, homes in the area will have a higher value. If neighborhood schools have a low API, the market might be bleak, and home prices will decline. “Every student on this campus is going to pay for their effort,” Swanson said. “They’re either going to receive the benefit, or their going to end up with the negative consequence for the effort that they put in while they’re in here.” Swanson added, “Try to make the most of (high school), and have a bright future.” ]]> Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:57:00 GMT