The fourth grade class at Jackson Elementary School listens intently to teacher Linda Daly. The school scored a rating of 784 in the annual Academic Performance Index, just off the state target of 800.

Photo by: Helen Bonner

Amador County schools got their report cards from the state this week and, for the most part, they got at least a B+.

When the state superintendent of public instruction released California's 2007-08 Accountability Progress Report, three of this county's public schools earned Academic Performance Index ratings above 800. The others all ranged in the high 700s.

Considering that the district had only $6,537 to spend per student while the state average is $10,800, it's quite an accomplishment, say district officials and educators. How did they do it?

"Great teachers," assistant superintendent of curriculum Elizabeth Chapin-Pinotti said with enthusiasm. "Great teachers using great research-based teaching strategies, and standards-based textbooks."

"Great teachers, yes," added Sean Snider, principal of Sutter Creek Elementary School, the highest scoring school. "But it's a combination of great teaching, great support staff and great parent support. If all those people weren't doing their jobs, we couldn't have scored so high.

"We're working on bare bones state budgets," Snider said. "But we're achieving because we are all doing more, even sacrificing when necessary, looking toward the day when state budgets will improve." Before taking his present position two years ago, Snider was a teacher at Pioneer Elementary, another top scoring school.

What do these scores mean? "With these statewide performance targets, when you hit 800, the state leaves you alone," Chapin-Pinotti explained. "You have mainly achieved their goals."

The rating shows which schools have narrowed or closed the achievement gap between low performing students, typically Latino or Hispanic, and their high performing peers, typically white. Amador County's three top scores went to Sutter Creek Elementary with an API of 824, Pine Grove with an API of 812, and Pioneer with an API of 806. Right behind them were Plymouth Elementary with 796, Amador High with 788, Jackson Elementary's 784, Jackson Junior High's 770, Argonaut High's 766 and Ione's 760.

API scores are based on standardized tests from grades three to 10, and on the California High School Exit Exam, or CAHSEE, which all students must pass to graduate. In the Amador County Unified School District, 89 percent of students passed the exit exam in language arts this year and 86 percent passed in math. For comparison, the state average is 79 and 78 percent, respectively. Wealthy districts like Santa Barbara and Santa Clara earn no better scores.

The accountability report also shows test scores in Amador County have increased dramatically in the last year or two. Sutter Creek's sixth graders went from English language arts scores of 51 percent last year to 72 percent this year. In the third grade, only 37 percent could pass the math and English tests, but by sixth grade they have caught up. Math scores went from 47 percent last year to 61 percent this year, beating the state average by l7 percent. The language arts scores bested the state average by 25 percent.

CAHSEE results show some impressive scores for both Argonaut High and Amador High, both with 90 percent of their students passing exit exams in English language arts. They scored 87 percent in math, while the state average is only 78 percent. In 2005, only 73 percent of Argonaut students passed the math exam. Today's scores show a 17 percent improvement in just three years.

API scoring also takes into account student ethnicity: Amador County schools are 74 percent white, 9 percent Latino/Hispanic, 12 percent multiple or undeclared, and 3 percent Native American. State averages show only 29 percent of public school students identify themselves as white. Latino/Hispanics compose 77 percent. Of economically disadvantaged students, which can include any of the above categories, 79 percent passed the CAHSEE.

"The results show that our schools are making real progress and that more students in California are meeting the challenge of higher expectations," state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said in a news release. "But the state's achievement gap is still unacceptably wide. We have a long way to go to reach our ambitious goal of all students becoming proficient in all of the subject areas we assess."

Because the API gives schools more credit for improvement made by the lowest-achieving students, the state hopes to encourage educators to focus on improving the achievement of students who struggle the most. Some educators believe the state's ultimate API goal of 1,000, is unrealistic, since all students in all schools would have to meet all testing standards. "When these state standards first came out, many people said they were too high," Snider said. "They said the kids couldn't learn it all. Now, ten years later, we're doing it."

Said Chapin-Pinotti, "In a system requiring l00 percent achievement from every student and every teacher, Amador County's 800 score gets an A."

Scores can be found at www.cde.ca.gov/.