The Oklahoma State Department of Education has released the Academic Performance Index for 2008-09 with Plainview Primary and Intermediate Elementary Schools claiming a perfect score for the second year in a row.
Both schools scored 1500 in an index that ranges from 0 to 1500.
“We’re extremely proud of that (scores),” intermediate principal Julie Altom said. “It’s really a team effort – supportive parents, hardworking teachers and a community that cares.”
The big question is — What does the API really show and why should teachers, school administrators and residents living within each school district care?
According to the state department of education Web site, “The purpose of the API is to measure success and to initiate growth in school and district performance in our state.”
State Department of Education officials said are quick to point out API scores are not meant as competitions between schools or school districts within the state.
In fact, the department cautions against comparison of schools due to the vast differences in size, location and demographics. Instead the scores are meant to be used as a measuring tool to gauge strengths and weaknesses within each school and district.
“It’s a way for schools to look in a mirror,” Ardmore City Schools Superintendent Dr. Ruth Ann Carr said.
The three components are used to calculate the score are:
* The Oklahoma School Testing Program includes reading and math test results from students in the third through eighth grades . End-of-Instruction tests for English II and Algebra I are taken by high school students.
* School completion includes attendance, dropout and graduation rates for high schools.
* Academic excellence is used for high schools and includes ACT scores and the percentage of students who participate, Advanced Placement credit and college remediation rates in reading and math.
Each schools receive a score based on the trio of components, as well as how well each institution has meet statewide education targets.
Dickson Schools have seen significant improvement in their API, meeting teachers’ and administrators’ goals to improve 5 percent each year.
“We have quality teachers taking care of business every day,” Superintendent Sherry Howe said.
An issue Ardmore school officials focus on is maintaining consistency among the district’s seven schools that are scored.
“We have not been able to develop consistency among the schools. We’re looking at how to all be ‘up’ at the same time,” Carr said.
Each Ardmore school has an action plan in place to meet goals.
“We have all sorts of things to make sure our students succeed,” Carr said.
Plans in Ardmore schools have included tutoring programs, arranging an intercession class, an algebra boot camp and remediation.
“We’ve been trying to improve for a long time and will continue on that path to become more consistent,” Carr said.
Attendance also plays a critical role in determining API.
“If kids aren’t there, they aren’t learning,” Carr said.
Ardmore schools also have systems in place to contact parents when their child is not in class. (Attendance rates are figured by percentage of students in class.)
“The smaller the school, the more each student counts in the whole,” Carr said.
If a school has less than 30 student tests, then a score for a school is not issued. Springer High School doesn’t meet the student population requirement and does not receive an individual score.
However, a district score is issued, using the combination of the elementary and high school scores.
“Overall, we scored pretty well and are looking to get better each year,” Springer superintendent Matt Holder said.
Another API consideration is that each year, a different set of students is tested. Administrators can use each year’s score to determine how well students are doing as they progress each year.
“The high school is an accumulation of everything. It shows what is succeeding in your district, the building of the educational process,” Howe said.
And while API scores help each school and district determine how affective current methods are, changes in the state’s testing procedures could have a substantial impact next year. Why?
Students will have to score higher to receive satisfactory scores.
“We’ll just continue to emphasize our benchmarking and if we have to align it to reflect the new cut scores, we will,” Altom said.
NOTE: The first column of numbers indicates 2007-08 school year scores. The second column is scores for the 2008-09 school year.
Ardmore City Schools
Overall 1204 1213
Charles Evans 1350 1122
Franklin 1332 1307
Jefferson 1051 1072
Lincoln 1210 1478
Will Rogers 1122 1133
Middle School 1234 1235
High School 1284 1280
Dickson Public Schools
Overall 1318 1395
Upper Elem. 1411 1436
Middle School 1356 1399
High School 1298 1404
Fox Public Schools
Overall 1119 1196
Elementary 1167 1271
High School 1197 1139
Healdton Public Schools
Overall 1214 1190
Elementary 1128 1068
Middle School 1301 1266
High School 1191 1310
Lone Grove Public Schools
Overall 1396 1333
Intermediate 1390 1356
Middle School 1425 1416
High School 1428 1398
Plainview Public Schools
Overall 1491 1462
Intermediate 1500 1500
Primary 1500 1500
Middle School 1461 1431
High School 1488 1482
Springer Public Schools
Overall 1277 1230
Elementary 1403 1349
High School 1180 ***
Wilson Public Schools
Overall 1216 1287
Elementary 1329 1376
High School 967 1193
Zaneis Public School
Overall 1260 1248
Ringling Public Schools
Overall 1143 1024
Elementary 1204 1050
Junior High 1133 1059
High School 1179 1233
Tishomingo Public Schools
Overall 1239 1212
Elementary 1317 1114
Middle School 1316 1394
High School 1267 1287
Greenville Public School
Overall 1290 1239
Marietta Public Schools
Overall 1097 1176
Elementary 1141 1277
Middle School 1083 1191
High School 1124 1191
Thackerville Public Schools
Overall 1125 992
Elementary 1197 1042
High School 1068 ****
Turner Public Schools
Overall 1300 1301
Elementary 1329 1320
High School 1345 ****
Kingston Public Schools
Overall 1283 1318
Elementary 1462 1400
Middle School 1246 1311
High School 1162 1256
Madill Public Schools
Overall 1254 1311
Elementary 1322 1362
Middle School 1257 1314
High School 1239 1271
Davis Public Schools
Overall 1305 1374
Elementary 1296 1410
Middle School 1334 1344
High School 1367 1377
Sulphur Public Schools
Overall 1314 1329
Elementary 1491 1358
Intermediate 1365 1362
Junior High 1302 1373
High School 1292 1292
