English and math test scores rose at most California public schools this year, but 925 campuses serving low-income students still received a federal scolding because their gains weren't big enough, according to data released Friday.
Those 925 schools -- about 12% percent of all public schools in the state -- theoretically must offer their students transfers to other campuses in the fall, but crowding at many other campuses will probably limit the numbers of transfers, officials said. Some may have to spend their federal funding on extra tutoring.
Orange County students continue to outperform their peers, according to results from the 2003 California Standards Tests, taken by second- through 11th-graders last spring. But the results show that 46 campuses -- including 18 in Santa Ana Unified -- could face federal sanctions for not improving enough. That total is up from 38 schools last year; 12 were removed and 20 were added to the list.
As in the past, elementary students statewide showed the largest increases on tests linked to California's tough academic standards in English/language arts and math material that is supposed to be taught in all classrooms.
For example, 36% of fifth-graders were proficient or better in English, a 5-percentage-point gain from last year. Meanwhile, 53% of second-graders were proficient in math, up 10 percentage points from last year. Proficiency, the goal, is defined as strong mastery of that grade level's material.
In Orange County, 43% of students tested as proficient or better in language arts, while 46% reached that level in math. Statewide, 35% of students were proficient or better in language arts and 36% reached that level in math.
State leaders described the improvements as evidence that California's education reforms -- including intensive teacher training, tougher academic standards and new textbooks tied to those standards -- are paying off.
"The test scores are clearly going in the right direction," said Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of public instruction. "Every child can learn and every child can excel."
Statewide, 81% of the 7,296 schools with test scores increased the numbers of students proficient in English and math this year compared with last year. The schools moved an additional 4% of their students, or about 138,000 youngsters, into the proficient category.
