Chino Valley Unified School District students continue to make gains on tests that measure standards for academic excellence established by both the State of California and the federal government, according to the 2008 Accountability Progress Report released Thursday by the California Department of Education.
Two schools, El Rancho and Gird Elementary Schools, have shown huge growth over the past two years; Rhodes Elementary School leads San Bernardino County as the highest performing school; and Cortez Elementary School made tremendous progress.
Chino Valley Unified's overall API of 785 reflects a growth of 3 points over the previously identified base score for 2007. The state's API is 742, an increase of 12 points. Unlike previous years, the District did not surpass state growth this year and will direct focus among all schools to that annual goal.
We are encouraged to see significant progress in a number of our schools and are proud that our highest performing schools continue to grow, said Edmond T. Heatley, Ed.D., Superintendent. "Our goal is not just to increase the District API results, but to increase the API of every school and continue to focus on closing the achievement gap."
Gird Elementary School increased 77 points since 2006 and has shown the largest growth of all schools in the District over the past two years. El Rancho Elementary School increased 60 points over the past two years. Cortez Elementary School's API grew by 45 points and passed the State target of 800 with a score of 809.
"The phenomenal growth at Cortez, El Rancho and Gird Elementary Schools, as well as others, can be attributed to strong leadership, parental involvement and a teaching staff that focused on standards-based instruction," said Dr. Heatley. "The fact that seven schools were able to make such tremendous progress, increasing by double digits shows that focused teamwork can help us reach our goals."
The seven schools that earned double digit gains include:
* Rhodes ES 36 points to 946
* Canyon Hills JHS 22 points to 881
* Townsend JHS 18 points to 838
* Cortez ES 45 points to 809
* Gird ES 40 points to 757
* El Rancho ES 32 points to 742
* Dickey ES 32 points to 734
Five elementary schools scored above 900 (the State target is 800) and include:
* Rhodes 946
* Country Springs 928
* Oak Ridge 920
* Rolling Ridge 908
* Hidden Trails 901
Twelve schools have scores above the state target of 800 and include:
* Butterfield Ranch ES 897
* Wickman ES 897
* Canyon Hills JHS 881
* Liberty ES 883
* Eagle Canyon ES 875
* Litel ES 869
* Glenmeade ES 845
* Cattle ES 844
* Townsend JHS 838
* Briggs FS 826
* Los Serranos 813
* Cortez ES 809
The state's Academic Performance Index (API) is based on year-to-year growth and calculated using the annual results of students tested on the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program (STAR).
Chino Valley schools continue to be some of the highest performing schools in San Bernardino County with five in the County's top ten and include:
1. Rhodes ES (CVUSD) 946
2. Country Springs ES (CVUSD) 928
3. Richardson Prep (middle) 927
4. Mariposa ES 922
5. Oak Ridge ES (CVUSD) 920
6. Rolling Ridge ES (CVUSD) 908
7. Valencia ES 903
8. Heritage ES 902
9. Hidden Trails ES (CVUSD) 901
10. Day Creek Intermediate 900
Some additional highlights include:
Canyon Hills and Townsend Junior High Schools scored in the top five of junior highs in the County and Ayala and Chino Hills High School are within the top ten high schools in the County.
Dr. Heatley added, "We are measured by our results on the API, but let us not forget that our goal is to educate every student to their highest potential by providing them with an academically rigorous education, safe schools and appropriate learning environments."
Chino Valley Unified School District serves 33,330 students in Chino, Chino Hills and Ontario. There are 36 schools in the District including 22 elementary (K-6), 2 fundamental (K-6 & K-8), 5 junior highs and 4 high schools and 3 alternative schools. One elementary school operates on a year-round basis. The District employs about 3,160 persons, making it one of the largest employers in San Bernardino County. The District's annual budget is approximately $270 million. The District's Motto is: Student Achievement, Safe Schools and Positive School Climate.
and is not a part of nor affiliated with the City of Chino Hills.