Gilroy Schools Outpace State in Academic Testing

Santa Clara County students scored higher than the state average in English and math tests, according to new standardized test results, and Gilroy students are several percentage points above that state average.

Some 4.7 million students took the 2011 Standardized Testing and Reporting assessment, known as STAR, last spring, and 54 percent of them scored proficient or better in English-language arts. Fifty percent scored proficient or better in math, according to the California Department of Education.

Officials released the results to the public on Monday.

students were above those averages, with 57.4 percent of them scoring at grade-level or higher in English and 54.4 percent scoring at the same level in math. A total of 8,462 Gilroy students were tested.

In Santa Clara County, where 201, 997 students were tested, 64.9 percent scored proficient or advanced in English and 61.2 percent proficient or better in math.

Students in second through 11th grades are tested in several subjects and ranked by the following levels: far below basic, below basic, basic, proficient or advanced. 

Officials at the Santa Clara County Office of Education said that the numbers showed progress towards closing the achievement gap between Hispanic and White students. Since 2004, the gap in English has dropped from 43 percentage points to 38, and the gap in math for grades 2-7 has dropped from 39 points to 30. Both White and Hispanic students showed growth in all academic areas.

“These very encouraging results show that our efforts to eliminate the achievement gap are beginning to pay off,” said Dr. Charles Weis, Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools, in a press release. “Now, we need to continue to build off of the strong momentum we’ve established, in order to achieve our goal of eliminating the gap by 2020.”

Both state scores are the highest since the program launched in 2003. That first year, just 35 percent of California students ranked as proficient in math and English.

“The significant and sustained improvements we’ve seen for nine consecutive years prove how hard teachers, school employees, administrators and parents are working to help students achieve despite budget cuts that have affected our schools,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said in a statement. “Their heroic teamwork is paying off for California.”

The number of county students taking the Algebra I test has increased since 2007, representing greater attendance in a subject that county officials said is essential to higher education. Specific growth was cited for Hispanic and African American students in 7th and 8th grade.

Racial, economic achievement gap

Though overall test scores increased, an achievement gap remains.

Black and Latino students continue to lag behind their white and Asian peers. Students from low-income families or those for whom English is a second language also struggle to keep up, the numbers show.

STAR scores are used to calculate schools' Academic Performance Index and Adequate Yearly Progress report. Dropout and exit exam rates also factor into the API and AYP assessments.

were released Friday; those for the California High School Exit Exam are due out next week and the AYP and API scores will be released on Aug. 31. 

• See data for Gilroy High School
• See data for Christopher High School
• For other data, visit the STAR test result Web site and select the name of a school.