California’s accountability system is pushing schools to improve learning for many students, concludes an analysis by the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Read “CRESST Analysis of California Accountability Progress Report,” available from the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing.
Using the state’s Academic Performance Index—which measures academic growth toward specific targets—and results from the state’s standardized-testing program, the analysis showed that public schools in the state overall made an 11-point gain, or a 1.6 percent improvement, between the 2004-05 and 2005-06 school years. Still, CRESST researchers said that achievement gaps remain “unacceptably high” in the state.
