Hollister – California’s achievement test scores were released Wednesday, and while schools in the Hollister School District as a whole performed lower than the state average, district officials said they were pleased with improvements from prior years.
The California Department of Education released test scores from the California Standards Tests, taken by second- through 11th-graders in spring. The tests measure student achievement in math, English and, in higher grades, science and history.
Throughout San Benito County, test scores remained consistent with years past, with no large gains made in English or mathematics. Test scores here were slightly lower here than state averages.
Students are ranked by proficiency level based on their test scores. It ranges from far below basic to advanced. Through the No Child Left Behind Act, all schools must strive to have students test at a proficient or advanced level.
These test scores and others are compiled to create an Academic Performance Index – which will be released at the end of the month – for each school and each district. The API ranks schools in terms of growth and performance and gives them test targets for the next years.
In the recently released results, the Hollister School District saw overall growth in both math and English. But while most schools saw improvements, others remained stagnant or experienced decreases in student achievement.
“Overall, the district is improving,” HSD Superintendent Ron Crates said. “We need to focus on some schools that still need improvement, but overall I’m pleased.”
Despite improvements, the district’s overall test scores remain below the state average. Some schools in particular lagged.
The majority of students at both R.O. Hardin and Calaveras tested below the proficient level in all grades, instead being ranked between “Basic” or “Far Below Basic.” English test scores appeared particularly weak at the two schools.
Nine percent of third-graders at Calaveras tested at a proficient or higher level in English and language arts, while 23 percent of fourth-graders and 13 percent of fifth-graders did so.
Some disparity among the schools has to do with varying numbers of English language learners, Crates said.
Test scores at Cerra Vista remained above state averages in both mathematics and English. The school saw gains in its scores as well, Crates said.
The majority of students tested at a proficient level or higher – with 82 percent of fourth-graders scoring a proficient or advanced score on the mathematics test and 74 percent of fourth-graders getting above proficient on the English test.
