A strong showing by elementary school students helped boost OUSD’s API by 16 points and extend its streak as California’s most improved large, urban school district to four years. Since 2004, OUSD has raised its API by a total of 73 points. Fresno Unified, the closest comparable district, has seen its API score climb 61 points in that time.

API is a state measure of the growth in student performance on the California Standards Test (CST), the California High School Exit Exam (CASHEE) and other examinations. Its counterpart on a federal level is AYP, a calculation comprised of the CASHEE, CST and API scores and, for high schools, graduation rate as well. District officials credited the diligence of teachers and school site administrators, as well as increased professional development, the continuation of innovative instructional programs, regular District assessment of student progress and increased parental involvement with helping to fuel the rising scores.

“We are encouraged by the impressive progress across a wide range of schools, particularly at the elementary levels,” said OUSD’s Chief Academic Officer Brad Stam. “However, it is clear that we need to accelerate student achievement to match the rapidly increasing standards set by the federal government and to ensure that more of our students are proficient and prepared to succeed academically and in life. Our emphasis on Professional Learning Communities, increased family engagement and early intervention strategies have yielded remarkable results, but we must continue to expand and refine these practices if we are to produce the gains our children deserve,” Stam added.

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