800 API: Samo reaches goal for improving API scores

Last year, Samo surpassed the goal set by school administrators and the State of California to achieve over an 800 Academic Performance Index (API) score.According to the California Department of Education’s (CDE) website, API scores are based on each school’s student body’s performance on statewide standardized tests such as California State Testing. They consider several other factors like graduation rate and class sizes.Samo scored an 805 out of a maximum 1000 and minimum 200 API, having improved by 18 points from the 2009-10 school year’s 787 API score. California’s target API score for all public-schools is 800.According to the CDE website, the API is a way of measuring the academic performance of schools and school growth on a variety of academic measures. The API system was first put into action in California in 1999 as a part of the Public School Accountability Act.According to I-House Principal Renée Semik, the API score, among other things, lets schools know how well they are doing compared to other schools in California.“Some of the schools that we want to be competitive with are over 900 API schools. So, if we want to maintain our high status and great reputation, then I think we want to continue to show improvement in the API,” Semik said.Semik went on to say that the faculty is now looking toward next year’s API evaluation and assessing last year’s performance on how to continue to improve.“There’s definitely been a movement to continue to reflect on our instruction,” Semik said. “Teachers are identifying the exact thing they want students to know and they’re sharing with students those exact things, then they’re assessing them on those exact targets.”Samo junior Nikki Bell feels the over 800 API score will both greatly help the school and students.“It’s an improvement from what we had before and I think it looks better [for college] and improves our school’s reputation,” Bell said.According to Samo Principal Laurel Fretz, an 805 API is a great accomplishment, one that merits a reward – albeit a reward with no hair dyeing. On Oct. 13 the school plans to hold an award’s ceremony for students who improved on their CST’s. Also on Oct. 14 an In-n-Out truck will be on campus for a special extended lunch.“I know the school has been working for over several years to get over 800 and I think it’s a great accomplishment. So I think it’s something we need to celebrate – and we’re going to celebrate it,” Fretz said.Samo PTSA President Debbie Mulvaney believes that Samo’s 805 API score will improve in the coming school year.“It’s great that we broke that 800 API barrier but it’s only the beginning. It shows that we can do this and we should do this and we should keep pushing to have an even higher API,” Mulvaney said.Fretz went on to say that the school will not just be focusing on improving its API score through testing, but also on improving the learning environment in general.“Testing is not all that learning is about. It’s nice to have a high number because then the community looks at us and says ‘wow that must be a great school - look they have a high number,’ but a number doesn’t define us and a number isn’t all we’re about. We are individuals that make up a great group of people and we’re more then a single number, but we do need to keep improving what we do in the classrooms and our teaching and learning can always get better,” Fretz said.Sam ReamerStaff Writersreamer@thesamohi.com