New Rankings Give Some Schools a Lift

Ventura County schools’ rankings on a statewide measure of comparative academic performance changed slightly in an updated report to be released today.

Though the revisions only affect how local campuses compare to others with similar ethnic and economic profiles, administrators are analyzing individual school rankings to see how they can be improved.

The California Department of Education corrected the intrastate rankings after hundreds of districts inadvertently supplied faulty data on the percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunches, a measure of poverty among schoolchildren.

With the new data, most elementary schools in Oxnard rose slightly in the rankings, while many campuses in Fillmore, Moorpark and Simi Valley dropped. In Ventura and the Conejo Valley, some schools climbed while others fell by one or two positions. All five schools in the Oxnard Union High School District remained unchanged in their rankings.

The overall scores on the state’s first Academic Performance Index and the statewide ranking of California’s schools, however, remained the same for schools in Ventura County and throughout California.

Nearly 600 districts, representing almost 4,100 schools statewide, submitted changes. In Ventura County, 16 of the area’s 20 school districts updated their data, according to state education officials. Two of the county’s districts, Mupu Elementary and Santa Clara Elementary, are not ranked because of their small size.

As a result, the “similar schools” rankings changed in almost every local school district. The rankings are on a 1-to-10 scale, with 10 being the highest and 1 the lowest.

In addition to the number of students in the federal lunch program, the similar schools ranking also considers how many students are not fluent in English, as well as the number of teachers with emergency credentials.

The similar schools rankings are part of the state’s new accountability program created by Gov. Gray Davis to gauge the academic improvement of campuses statewide. The Academic Performance Index, as the program is known, was based on an analysis of the results of last year’s Stanford 9 achievement test.

When the original data were released in late January, all schools received scores between 200 and 1,000. In Ventura County, about 60% of schools scored above the statewide median of 630. About 18% of county schools reached the statewide performance target of 800.

Schools also received a statewide ranking of 1 to 10, with 1 representing the bottom 10% of schools, and 10 the top 10%. All elementary schools are ranked together, as are middle schools and high schools.

The scores provide each school with a baseline to measure its future performance. Schools that improve will be eligible for financial rewards, while schools that don’t will receive sanctions, ranging from removal of principals and transfer of teachers to a state takeover in extreme cases.

The academic index will eventually include other benchmarks, including attendance and graduation rates and the results of a future exam that high school students will be required to pass to graduate.

Connie Sharp, assistant superintendent of the Oxnard Elementary School District, said officials in her district accidentally underreported the percentage of low-income students. Consequently, Oxnard schools were compared to campuses in more affluent areas of the state, where achievement would likely be higher. About 70% of students in the local district qualify for the federal lunch program, Sharp said.

With the new data, 12 schools rose slightly in the rankings, one dropped and three remained the same. Brekke School rose from a ranking of 4 to 5 and Marina West School rose from 5 to 7.

“We’re pleased to see that, as we anticipated, our schools did better than reported,” Sharp said. “We know we still have a long way to go, but at least the picture is not as bleak as it was originally painted.”

In the Simi Valley Unified School District, one school rose, 15 dropped and 10 stayed the same. Simi Valley High School dipped from a 7 to a 6, and Sinaloa Middle School went from a 4 to a 3.

About 14% of students in Simi Valley receive free or reduced-price lunches.

Assistant Supt. Kathryn Scroggin said officials plan to analyze the revised rankings this week, but are more focused on whether their schools will improve over the first year’s scores.

“With our Stanford 9 testing finished in the district, we are looking forward to the next round of scores to see if, in fact, we met the targets for our district,” she said.

Richard Simpson, assistant superintendent for the Conejo Valley Unified School District, said he did not originally report to the state that more than 12% of students participate in the federal lunch program. As a result, rankings of 10 schools rose, nine dropped and seven stayed the same.

“The important numbers are the API scores and the growth targets,” he said. “They have our attention and the principals’ attention. We will be trying to meet those targets.”

The new data will be posted this morning on an Internet Web site, https://www.cde.ca.gov/psaa/api.

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Recalculations affect many campuses statewide. A3

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Similar Schools Ranking

This ranking of 18 school districts in Ventura County compares each campus with a group of 100 schools in the state that are similar in certain regards, such as poverty rate, the number of English language learners, pupil ethnicity, student mobility and percentage of teachers with emergency credentials. A 10 represents the top 10% of similar schools and 1 the bottom 10%. Two local school districts are considered too small to be measured.

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Briggs Elementary

Briggs Elementary 5 6

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Conejo Valley Unified

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Acacia Elementary 9 9 Aspen Elementary 5 7 Banyan Elementary 5 4 Conejo Elementary 3 3 Cypress Elementary 3 4 Glenwood Elementary 8 9 Ladera Elementary 7 4 Lang Ranch 5 5 Madrona Elementary 9 8 Manzanita Elementary 5 5 Maple Elementary 9 10 Meadows Elementary 7 6 Park Oaks Elementary 6 5 University Elementary 5 4 Walnut Elementary 5 3 Weathersfield Elementary 8 9 Westlake Elementary 5 6 Westlake Hills Elementary 6 8 Wildwood Elementary 6 5 Colina Intermediate 4 5 Los Cerritos Middle 4 4 Redwood Intermediate 8 9 Sequoia Intermediate 8 8 Newbury Park High 5 4 Thousand Oaks High 6 7 Westlake High 7 7

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Fillmore Unified

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Piru Elementary 8 7 San Cayetano Elementary 5 3 Sespe Elementary 7 2 Fillmore Junior High 5 3 Fillmore Senior High 3 2

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Hueneme Elementary

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Bard Elementary 5 4 Hathaway Elementary 7 7 Haycox Elementary 4 4 Hollywood Beach Elementary 8 7 Hueneme Elementary 10 9 Larsen Elementary 9 9 Parkview Elementary 10 9 Sunkist Elementary 9 8 Williams Elementary 8 7

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Blackstock Junior High 10 10 Green Junior High 10 10

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Mesa Union Elementary

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Mesa Elementary 8 7

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Moorpark Unified

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Arroyo West Elementary 7 6 Campus Canyon Elementary 5 4 Flory Elementary 4 2 Mountain Meadows Elementary 7 6 Peach Hill Elementary 5 3 Walnut Canyon Elementary 5 7 Chaparral Middle 7 3 Mesa Verde Middle 4 4 Moorpark High 8 8

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Oak Park Unified

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Brookside Elementary 5 5 Oak Hills Elementary 1 1 Red Oak Elementary 5 4 Medea Creek Middle 7 6 Oak Park High 9 9

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Ocean View Elementary

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Laguna Vista Elementary 4 6 Mar Vista Elementary 9 7 Tierra Vista Elementary 9 8 Ocean View Junior High 10 8

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Ojai Unified

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Meiner’s Oaks Elementary 3 5 Mira Monte Elementary 3 3 San Antonio Elementary 8 9 Topa Topa Elementary 8 8 Matilija Junior High 8 7 Nordhoff High 7 8

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Oxnard Elementary

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Brekke Elementary 4 5 Chavez Elementary 1 3 Curren Elementary 6 7 Driffill Elementary 6 7 Harrington Elementary 6 8 Kamala Elementary 3 6 Lemonwood Elementary 9 10 Marina West Elementary 5 7 McAuliffe Elementary 6 6 McKinna Elementary 6 8 Ritchen Elementary 7 4 Rose Avenue Elementary 10 10 Sierra Linda Elementary 8 9 Frank Intermediate 8 10 Fremont Intermediate 5 5 Haydock Intermediate 6 7

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Oxnard Union High

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Camarillo High 5 5 Channel Islands High 9 9 Hueneme High 7 7 Oxnard High 10 10 Rio Mesa High 7 7

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Pleasant Valley Elementary

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Bedford Open Elementary 6 6 Camarillo Heights Elementary 3 2 Dos Caminos Elementary 9 8 El Descanso Elementary 8 5 El Rancho Elementary 6 5 Las Colinas Elementary 5 6 Las Posas Elementary 7 6 Los Nogales Elementary 3 2 Los Primeros Elementary 10 7 Santa Rosa Elementary 8 6 Tierra Linda Elementary 4 2 Valle Lindo Elementary 8 6 Los Altos Intermediate 6 5 Monte Vista Intermediate 9 8

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Rio Elementary

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking El Rio Elementary 7 7 Rio Lindo Elementary 4 4 Rio Plaza Elementary 6 4 Rio Real Elementary 6 5 Rio Del Valle Elementary 7 6

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Santa Paula Elementary

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Bedell Elementary 3 2 Blanchard Elementary 2 3 Glen City Elementary 7 6 McKevett Elementary 4 3 Thille Elementary 9 9 Webster Elementary 3 2 Isbell Middle 6 7

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Santa Paula Union High

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Santa Paula High 7 8

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Simi Valley Unified

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Atherwood Elementary 4 2 Berylwood Elementary 3 2 Big Springs Elementary 6 5 Crestview Elementary 2 1 Garden Grove Elementary 2 1 Hollow Hills Elementary 10 9 Justin Elementary 1 1 Katherine Elementary 3 2 Knolls Elementary 2 1 Lincoln Elementary 1 1 Madera Elementary 4 2 Mountain View Elementary 1 1 Park View Elementary 2 2 Santa Susana Elementary 5 7 Simi Elementary 7 6 Sycamore Elementary 1 1 Township Elementary 4 4 Vista Elementary 6 6 White Oak Elementary 3 2 Wood Ranch Elementary 5 3 Hillside Junior High 3 2 Sinaloa Junior High 4 3 Valley View Junior High 6 6 Royal High 4 4 Santa Susana High 6 6 Simi Valley High 7 6

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Somis Union Elementary

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Somis Elementary 3 2

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Ventura Unified

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Previous Revised School SIM. ranking SIM. ranking Blanche Reynolds Elementary 2 1 Elmhurst Elementary 3 3 Foster Elementary 9 9 Juanamaria Elementary 7 7 Lincoln Elementary 5 5 Loma Vista Elementary 2 4 Montalvo Elementary 7 10 Mound Elementary 7 8 Oak View Elementary 5 7 Pierpont Elementary 2 3 Poinsettia Elementary 5 7 Portola Elementary 3 3 Saticoy Elementary 4 5 Serra Elementary 6 5 Sheridan Elementary 6 7 Will Rogers Elementary 8 10 Anacapa Middle 7 8 Balboa Middle 7 6 Cabrillo Middle 4 5 De Anza Middle 5 6 Buena High 4 4 Ventura High 4 5

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Source: California Department of Education