Local Schools Fare Well on State Testing

It's been about a month since California announced how all public schools in the state are doing academically. Monterey Heights Elementary School is still celebrating.

The Lemon Grove school scored 830 on the annual Academic Performance Index (API), the state's measuring stick for school progress. Monterey Heights, which has about 400 students, had the highest score in the eight-school East County district.

"I'm still smiling," Principal Yolanda Cole said. So will students who did well on the state testing that largely determines the API. The school is honoring them Oct. 22 during a school assembly.

API scores range from 200 to 1,000. The state target is 800.

Monterey Heights and Golden Avenue (804 API score, up 35 points) were the first schools in the district to reach the 800 mark. The average score for a district school was 760, up from 743 last year.

"We're on a roll," said Ernest Anastos, the district's superintendent since 2005.

Anastos attributed the district's API increase largely to a new math curriculum that the district introduced last year. The instructional material is more closely aligned to state educational standards, he said. "Every single grade level had really solid growth in mathematics," he said.

Monterey Heights had the largest point gain in the district, 49, and it was a schoolwide effort that did it, as all subgroups fared well on state testing, Cole said.

In addition to using a new math curriculum, the school also worked closely with students struggling with language arts, Cole said.

Monterey Heights' performance was like a decent baseball hitter rising to batting champion status. The school had been scoring in the 780s the previous four years before breaking out this year.

Teachers had an idea something special was going to happen because of how well students were doing in regular classroom assessments.

The school built a fan base around hitting 800. Parents, teachers and staff were the fans. "During the two weeks of testing they had music playing at lunch and balloons representing 800," Cole said. "The kids were able to see the 800. They were reminded what the target was," Cole said.

Cole contributed to the fun by promising to turn her hair blue if the school reached 800. Fifth-grade teacher Robert Wasilewski, who fills in for her when she's away, promised to get a Mohawk.

Both kept their word. Cole wore a blue wig on a Monday.

At the assembly next week, the school will recognize virtually all students for their performance on the state testing earlier this year. Eleven had perfect scores; 170 score proficient and advanced in math; 152 scored proficient in language arts.

Cole is already thinking about the next cycle of state testing in the spring. Teachers and students are feeling the momentum of their success, she said.

"We know success breeds success," she said.