Comments on: Base API scores for schools released

By: Michael Moore

Michael Moore — Fri, 13 May 2011 03:42:45 +0000

In short an 8 is way better than a 6.

By: HUSDteacher

HUSDteacher — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:22:09 +0000

A point of clarification on the text of the press release. A score of 8 does not mean “it ranks in the top 80% of” schools. Quite the opposite, it means that it is in the 8th decile, which roughly translates to ranking HIGHER THAN 70% of other schools (the ones with scores 1-7). In other words, it would rank in the top 30% of schools (those that received an 8, a 9 or a 10. Conversely, a school scoring a 1 is at the bottom of the rankings, not in the top 10% of schools.

By: Teachermama

Teachermama — Wed, 11 May 2011 02:10:58 +0000

Remember that K-3 class size went from 20 to 28 last year. This year we have 32+ so watch out!

By: Kathi Booth

Kathi Booth — Sat, 07 May 2011 17:43:01 +0000

Qodrn,
I think you are correct in your feelings about increasing the total school enrollments. The story given to the community was that the optimum size for elementary schools was 600 students, but I really don’t remember that any statistics were given on how increasing our schools to that number and in some cases over 600 would positively impact the learning environment or test scores. I do remember that it was considered a fantastic cost saving decision…and of course the money is always the bottom line, childlren always come second, third, or last.

Of course there are always a number of circumstances that can affect test scores and student achievement, like maintaining continutity of staff and site administrators, but HUSD seems to think that playing musical chairs with staffing at the school levels isn’t important. I wonder why they don’t do the same changing at the district level???

By: John W. Kyle

John W. Kyle — Sat, 07 May 2011 05:11:31 +0000

All;

Is there a relationship between API scores and the average daily attendence rate?

Is there a correlation to be made betrween truancy rate abd API Scores ?

Will we be faced with these two preoblems againe next year; regardles of who is hired to be Supy. ?

By: qodrn

qodrn — Fri, 06 May 2011 23:05:15 +0000

Numbers above such as Eldridge a 4 is the schools API score. So, Eldridge is a 6 at the 4 level. Whoopie.

Forgot East Avenue. Their API is a 4. State says they are a 2 at their level. Ouch.

For you Faith Ringgold folks your API is a 3. Their 752 is fifth in the district. Sorry about spelling and such; sticky keyboard on old laptop.

By: qodrn

qodrn — Fri, 06 May 2011 22:52:05 +0000

More – On further research for a real district of any size Hayward has the Lowest API score in the county. Oakland is higher.

Eldgridge rates a 4. Southgate a 5. Tyrell a 2. Chavez a 3. Yep these are great scores.

Junior highs are rated 5 at MLK (state says should be 8)and then a 4 and one with a 3 and 2.

Moving up to high schools Mt. Eden is a 3 and the other two are a 2.

I know there are many hard working folks in the district but you wouldn’t have to work to hard to support complete failure of this district. Unless of course the job descriptions say make our schools at least as good as 50 percent of schools in the state.

How on earth can a city with TWO colleges in it have such rotton results with its students? I am coming around to support replacing all our schools with charter schools or something.

Do we have to have a school district? Maybe we should disband the thing and let parents go elsewhere for a few years. Then decide if we need one again. I am truly wondering if sending a child to some of these schools is child abuse. Sorry for ranting on. These results are horrible.

By: qodrn

qodrn — Fri, 06 May 2011 22:27:33 +0000

Boy talk about spinning a lousy report. Stonebrae’s score went down from last year’s 799. In a district with 20,000+ students, Hayward tested just over 14,000. Are they a district of 14000? Many grammer schools now have a score of 1 (8) I believe. However, Tennyson did go from 1 to 2 this year. And MLK did go up a bit. But that’s it folks. Meanwhile, Leadership HS across the street from Mt. Eden, which I note now has a police presence on school release more often than not now, has a rating of 9 up from 8 last year.

What I noticed most however was that the districts with higher scores than Hayward (almost all by the way) have grammer schools with much lower student numbers than Hayward, less than 300 per school. Their junior and senior high levels are more similar but still lower. Some of this is due to one high school for example in a smaller district. Making our schools bigger to save money (which I don’t think it did by the way when everything is said and done) seems to have lowered our scores. I suppose you could say that it might be the way area schools are drawn (rich folks all in one area) but even that doesn’t seem to help too much although I think Brett Harte is reaping some benefits from the hill folk.