ABC Unified Beats Odds, Scores Improve

Despite significant economic setbacks facing every district in the state, the ’s 2011 STAR test results actually show improvement from last year’s numbers.

“All of the schools increased in terms of their overall performance and for us that is a huge achievement,” said district Deputy Superintendent Mary Sieu.

Several of the district’s results even surpassed state averages, particularly in English, Mathematics, History and U.S. History.

For example, at the fourth-grade level, 51% of the students tested in English scored in the “advanced” level; statewide, 37% reached that level.

The STAR exams—which stands for Standardized Testing and Reporting—test students in subjects including English, Math, Algebra I, U.S. History, World History, Biology and Physics. The content for the exams is based on the California content standards, and students are rated on five levels of performance for each subject tested: advanced, proficient, basic, below basic, and far below basic. The goal is to reach “proficient.”

At the district level, many students from the ABC Unified School District reach proficient or better a number of subjects. The district’s areas of strength include English, Math, History and Science.

For those students in grades 2-7 who were tested in Mathematics, the majority of students reached “proficient” at the third grade level, just 24% of students did not meet reach “proficient.”

Traditionally, the ABC Unified School District has a history of doing well on the STAR exams. This year, however, faced with the state’s worst economic crisis, balancing student success and a dwindling budget has not been easy, Sieu said.

How the district is dealing with the crisis, though, is by using any and all funding that it gets and puts it toward success in the classroom, Sieu added.

“The most important thing is working with teachers and providing them the tools they need,” Sieu said. “We have invested any additional funding into targeting students who are in need of remediation and intervention.”

One of the district’s remediation and intervention methods includes Smart Academies, which is a voluntary Saturday academy for students in Title 1 schools—schools which are lower performing—to receive extra help. As part of the program, parents are also trained to understand what is expected of students and how they can help their child achieve academic success.

Additionally, Sieu said that the district provides bench markers for mathematics in every school. As part of these bench markers, the district assess' student learning every six weeks and determines whether or not they have met those standards. This effort, Sieu said, is what has helped the district reach such high levels in its math achievement.

“(The bench markers) are pacing guides, and all teachers are expected to pace themselves,” Sieu said. “When we assess students we have a better understanding of whether our students have met those standards and can offer remediation after school.”

Although the district is in its initial assessment of the results, Sieu said that the data will be used to help the district target areas of need. Recently, the district has trained its principals how to analyze data such as the STAR results in an effort to take full advantage of its findings, she said.

And the goal is to keep improving, she said.

“If we see an area of need we look specifically at how staff can re-teach that subject differently,” Sieu said. “(The test results) helps us determine what can we do at the district to continue supporting and providing training.”

To see the district or a certain school’s performance on the STAR exam, visit http://star.cde.ca.gov/star2011/Index.aspx.