2009 Dublin Unified School District API Scores
The California Department of Education recently published their 2009 Academic Performance Index (API) reports. The Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) had a gangbuster year by improving 16 points to a 2009 growth API score of 855. Other notable findings in the 2009 reports include:
- Dublin High posted the biggest improvement in the District by jumping from 798 to 842. Dublin High’s 2009 score is also 26 points above the benchmark for similar schools.
- Murray Elementary dropped from last year’s score of 860 to a 2009 score of 836 – falling 39 points below their similar school benchmark.
- Three DUSD schools all posted 2009 API scores above 900 – Dougherty Elementary (943), John Green Elementary (925), and Fallon Middle/Elementary (900).
- Wells Middle School dropped 19 points as compared to last year and fell 63 points below the average for similar schools.
Here is a DUSD summary of the 2009 report:
4:55 AM on September 25th, 2009
My family and I moved to Dublin (specifically Dublin Ranch) 9 years ago. Back then I didn’t know much about Dublin High School except that it was the old-looking school by the pool where I took my daughters for their swimming lessons. As the years progressed and my oldest daughter was approaching middle school, I started to hear concerns/fears about the high school—that it was not as good as the surrounding high schools in Pleasanton and San Ramon. And to be honest, I started to fear DHS. I didn’t like the way it looked (after all living in Dublin Ranch, I have been spoiled by brand-new schools) and academics are very important to me. My background is teaching— I taught in Canada as a French teacher, as a classroom teacher, and when I left Canada I was both a Special Education Resource Teacher and a trained Reading Recovery teacher. I have taught in public schools as well as in a prestigious all girls private school.
Now I wasn’t sure what to do but when my daughter was in 7th grade, Fallon hosted an informational meeting for parents regarding the high school and the rigorous requirements needed to graduate. The guest speakers were two of the counselors from DHS. I had many questions as I grew up in the Canadian system; I didn’t even know what an AP course was or if there was any prerequisite needed to take such a course. However, that evening I left understanding the academic requirements for college-bound students and most importantly, that DHS was able to offer that opportunity for my daughter. The following year, the principal of DHS was invited by Fallon’s PFC to come speak to Fallon parents. Again, I attended and again any doubts about the availability of AP courses and DHS’s ability to prepare my daughter for the college of her choice were alleviated.
What ultimately sold me on DHS, once my concerns about academics were addressed, were the 3 young DHS seniors that the counselors had invited to speak that evening at Fallon. They were 3 dynamic, obviously intelligent young ladies of different ethnicities—all accepted and heading to the college of their first choice. I was impressed by their spirit, by their academic background, and by their enthusiasm and work ethic. They spoke not only of their academic course work but also of the importance of being involved beyond the classroom. All colleges, especially the very best—and my daughter has her eye on Berkeley—look for more than just marks. Yes, a high GPA is absolutely needed but top colleges look for other involvement be it in sports, clubs, theater and community service. The counselors highlighted the fact that colleges look for extra- curricular involvement.
Dublin High School offers all of that. The school offers a wide range of clubs and sports including leadership – and the complete rebuilding of the school will be topped off by an impressive performing arts theater in a few years.
This year when I attended Dublin High’s Back to School Night I was impressed by every single teacher my daughter has—from her Advanced English teacher to her Geometry teacher—and I’m a tough one to impress. I was reminded that while it is nice to have brand new walls—it’s the teachers that count and it takes more than just having the right credentials by your name. It’s not to say that I don’t look forward to DHS being brand new ( I do!) but I never taught in schools like the ones my daughters have attended. I taught in one public school that at the time was 50 years old but when you opened the classroom doors you saw an amazing team of teachers.
I urge you if you have any doubts, as I did, to contact the counselors or the principal of DHS. Attend the high school informational meetings at Fallon and ask your questions .
There seems to be a lot of fear as I read this blog and I shared some of that fear before I educated myself on Dublin High. Dublin High’s recent API scores (congratulations Dublin High students!) validate my confidence in the school for my children’s education.
5:22 PM on September 25th, 2009
Thank you for telling your story. I’m very happy that you took the time and effort to discover what Dublin High is really about. I would hope that other parents who were so concerned with their child’s education would do the same, but it seems like so many people are so stuck on the rumors and preconceived notions that they are unwilling to actually check out DHS and come up with their own opinions about it. On more than one occasion, I’ve heard about how some people have said horrible things about the school, and when asked if they’ve ever been there to check it out for themselves, they flat-out refuse to do so!
7:43 AM on September 25th, 2009
Dublin might have improved a lot. But if you look at the differences from the benchmark scores, five of eight schools are BELOW the benchmark and one is at the benchmark score. Now compare these scores to those in surrounding cities, such as Pleasanton and San Ramon. You can see why Dublin needs more commitment to academics. And don’t get me started with “I don’t want my kids to be studying robots, blah blah.” Does Dublin High have better sports teams than San Ramon or Pleasanton? No.
4:21 PM on September 25th, 2009
Blah, blah, blah…That would be our fearless (and arrogant) leader – John L:-)
Every time I think of him, I am more motivated to have a charter high school for my child.
9:27 AM on September 25th, 2009
How is the ‘similar school benchmark’ derived? Why is Green’s so high?
10:11 AM on September 25th, 2009
Hi Anonymous – here’s the definition of the similar schools ranking from the California Department of Education website – “The similar schools rank indicates the decile rank of a school’s API compared with the APIs of 100 other schools with similar demographic characteristics. The similar schools ranks allow schools to look at their academic performance compared to other schools with some of the same opportunities and challenges.” The benchmark is based on median score of the ’100 similar schools’.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap/glossary09e.asp#gg12
The Green similar schools benchmark is high because the schools with similar demographic profiles tend to score higher on the API.
Thx, John Z.
10:54 AM on September 25th, 2009
Thanks for the information, John Z. It looks like John Green did not do a good job last year. Do not know whether the principal knows about this.
11:46 AM on September 25th, 2009
Anything over 850 is great – over 900 is excellent. Green is a very good school – we have a child there and love the teachers. Saying Green is doing a bad job is like saying a student with an average of 91% is doing poorly. Curious – do you have a child at Green? If no do you have any credible basis to slam an excellent school? If yes have you had a bad experience with Green?
1:58 PM on September 25th, 2009
Calm down. We are speaking in relative terms here. Is a student with a score of 91% in Remedial Math smarter than a student with a score of 61% in Advance Math? Is the student doing well in Advance Math?
2:01 PM on September 25th, 2009
I do have a child at Green and I am worried about the trend of dropping API. I am not just satisfied with only 900 API for an elementary school. As pointed out in this article, the comparable API for a similar school should be higher than 950. That is what we should shoot for. I want the best education for my child. There should be more room for improvement.
4:06 PM on September 26th, 2009
You sound like some of those Wells parents. No matter what, they just won’t admit Wells is not good enough. To them, Wells is the best school in the world and nothing needs to be improved. Unfortunately, the fact is that only half of the students are proficient in English and Math in Wells.
11:47 PM on September 25th, 2009
The principal at Green is a joke. Everyone knows this. He spends more time tending to his permed gray hair than anything else. Arrogant, non responsive… What else could you hope for in a principal?
5:41 AM on September 26th, 2009
Hello Frank – while everybody is encouraged to share their opinion on the Around Dublin Blog, it’s important that we focus on the issues and not people when it comes to criticism. I’m not sure if you were being serious…but I just wanted to share this reminder.
Thx, John Z.
12:35 PM on September 26th, 2009
Frank, you may want to go to the district office and petition to transfer your child if you are that dissatisfied with the principal and school that much. There are probably other children who were diverted that would love to get into Green.
11:35 AM on September 25th, 2009
Detailed API analysis comments:
http://www.arounddublinblog.com/2009/09/new-public-high-school-planned-for-dublin-california/#comment-3462
John, I don’t know if you have the ability to link comments sections but we have been engaging in a detailed analysis of the API scores on your other story. Please take the time to read it and understand the complex calculations before you reach your conclusions. There are many factors that go into the scores. In helping illustrate the issue, here is an explanation of what happened at Murray.
Thanks, Rick
Article from September’s Cougar Den:
http://www.dublin.k12.ca.us/pages/uploaded_files/2009%20Cougar%20Den%20Sept.doc
API Scores Are In
By Rick Boster
Murray’s annual Academic Performance Index (API) score and the Federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) reports were released on Tuesday. The good news is that Murray has met all of our API and AYP growth targets. However, this year’s API growth, if taken at face value, will be more difficult to ascertain. There have been several seemingly invisible demographic changes; unless you dig further into the demographic fields on the STAR website.
For instance, casual observers of the API numbers may not know that there are multi-step formulas in place that determine the overall API scores. The calculations begin with initial student subgroups formulas that are summed. These answers are then used as final variables in the last calculation which becomes the publicly available API number. The initial sub groups are: 2nd grade students (including students with disabilities), 3-5th grade students with disabilities, and 3-5th grade students without disabilities. Students with disabilities in 3rd-5th grade are singled out by the state for their own API subgroup variable since they often take modified, standards-based, grade level assessments. Second grade students with disabilities do not have this opportunity available to them therefore all second grade scores are tallied together. Each of these sub groups receives their own API score that later becomes a factor in the overall API score. This final API score is the public number that everyone uses to evaluate the “progress” of the school.
Murray’s API for the 2009 growth cycle is 836. This is 24 points less than the previous year. Approximately 17 points of the API decrease can be attributed to a single demographic component of the formulas used to calculate the overall API. This student demographic component was not included in last year’s calculation. As for our 3-5th grade students without disabilities, their API sub-calculation points rose by 22 points. Regarding the second grade students, their API sub-calculation scores slightly dropped in comparison to last years’ API scores for that same grade level. (Same grade, different students so it isn’t a true growth number, just a factor in the overall picture.) It is natural to have slight fluctuations in grade levels from year to year especially at small schools. We have identified the areas of concern and we are proactively addressing the learning issues specific to our students’ program.
Since we have seen some major program and demographic changes in the underlying API variables, it may help you to look at this year and the following school year’s data as new API “baselines” for Murray. Further illustrating this point, we have seen population growth in almost all of our subgroups. Seven out of nine ethnic groups have increased in size and Murray is quantifiably experiencing the well documented, statewide, Achievement Gap. Understandably, our socio-economically disadvantaged group has grown due to the conditions of the economy, and our students with disabilities have increased as well. Given the nature of disabilities in the mild/moderate program, and the small student population size here at Murray, we will continue to see fluctuations within these API variables for the near future. Given the vast breadth of student groups and programs that Murray serves, the overall API score may not be the best representation of how your student’s program performs. A detailed analysis of student performance data will be presented at October’s PFC meeting. I would encourage you to attend and find out more about the Academic Performance Index. Murray Elementary is always committed to helping all of our students achieve their personal best in the years to come and we will use the California Standards Test data to improve instruction for all subgroups.