Although Temecula Valley Unified School District's performance places it at the top of the county again, students’ 2013 STAR results were a mixed bag in the district, Riverside County and California.
The percentage of Temecula students ranking in the proficient or advanced category on standardized tests in English, math and science slipped in the last academic year, according to a report released this week by the California Department of Education.
The decline was mirrored throughout Riverside County and California as students in grades 2 through 11 were evaluated last spring under the 2013 Standardized Testing and Reporting Program.
And although Temecula Valley Unified School District 's performance places it at the top of the county again, students’ STAR results were a mixed bag.
According to the DOE, 76 percent of Temecula students in grades 2-11 scored proficient or better in English-language arts, compared to 77.4 percent who scored at that level in 2012.
Similarly, 79.5 percent of students in grades 5, 8 and 10 showed proficiency in science in the most recent testing period, compared to 81 percent last year.
“While we're pleased to see TVUSD has the highest percentages in the county of students scoring proficient or advanced, it's a concern to see drops,” said Melanie Norton, district spokeswoman. “But, we're not alone in this. Districts across the state saw drops, which has left us all scratching our heads trying to figure out what it's attributed to.”
Among all Riverside County districts combined, 55.4 percent of students in grades 2-11 scored proficient or better in English-language arts, compared to 56.2 percent of youths who scored at that level in 2012.
Further, 57.4 percent of students in grades 5, 8 and 10 countywide showed proficiency in science in the most recent testing period, compared to 58 percent last year.
There was a fractional drop countywide in STAR test results measuring the performance of students in grades 2-7 taking math exams. According to the data, 48.5 percent of students countywide scored proficient or advanced in 2013, while 48.7 percent attained that level in 2012.
In Temecula Valley Unified, 60 percent of students who were required to take the math test scored proficient or advanced, compared to 61.7 percent in 2012.
History was the lone subject for which Temecula Valley Unified saw an improvement in its proficiency level. Among students in eighth and 11th grades, 66.5 percent scored proficient or advanced, up from 64.7 percent the prior year.
In the county, 46.8 percent of eighth- and eleventh-graders earned proficient or advanced rankings on history during the most recent testing period, compared to 45.9 percent last year.
Statewide, 56.4 percent of students scored proficient or advanced in English, 59.1 percent in science, 51.2 percent in math and 49.4 percent in history.
The STAR program incorporates results from the California Standards Tests, California Modified Assessment, California Alternate Performance Assessment and Standards-based Tests in Spanish for Spanish-speaking and English-learner students.
Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Kenneth Young pointed out that despite the relatively flat STAR results, students countywide were showing annual gains on the Academic Performance Index, the metric on which the state relies to determine whether schools are meeting basic performance criteria or are under-performing.
"Our county continues to lead the state in increasing our schools' and districts' API scores," Young said. "This result is a combination of having higher expectations, working harder and working smarter."
Nearly 4.7 million students around California took the STAR tests during the last school year.
Looking at statewide mathematics results by grade level, the percentage of proficient and above students rose slightly for second and fourth graders, and students taking Algebra I, according to CDE.
There were declines among third graders, seventh graders, and high school students taking Geometry, Algebra II, and Integrated Mathematics 1. The percentage of proficient and above students was unchanged from the prior year among fifth and sixth graders as well as for students taking General Mathematics or the Summative High School Mathematics assessment, CDE reported.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson noted that the percentages scoring proficient or better had declined marginally, blaming the drop on budget cuts impacting education and a switch to new standards known as "Common Core," which are designed to align education goals nationwide. The switchover is expected to take effect in the 2014-2015 school year.
"As you would expect for a school system in transition, results varied from grade to grade, subject to subject and school to school, but the big picture is one of remarkable resilience despite the challenges," Torlakson said.
"While we all want to see California's progress continue, these results show that in the midst of change and uncertainty, teachers and schools kept their focus on students and learning," he said. "That's a testament to the depth of their commitment to their students and the future of our state."
Even with the dip, the statewide results still reflect a marked improvement over a decade ago, when only about one-third of students were scoring advanced or proficient in tests, he said.
—City News Service
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