Students' standardized test scores in English and math 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 for at least the second year in a row, according to data released Friday.
Under federal law, those 925 schools, about 11% of public schools in the state, must offer their students transfers to other campuses in the fall and spend part of their federal education funding on transportation or extra tutoring. However, crowding at many other campuses probably will limit the numbers of transfers, officials said.
As in the past, elementary students this year showed the largest increases on tests linked to California's 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 on the California Standards Test from last year. Meanwhile, 53% of second-graders were at least proficient in math, up 10 percentage points from last year. Proficiency is defined as strong mastery of that grade level's material.
High schools showed far less progress. For example, 33% of 10th-graders were proficient in English this year, the same as last year, and 11th-graders gained just one point, to 32%.
State leaders described the overall 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 schools increased the numbers of students proficient in both English and math this year compared to last year, according to a Times analysis. The schools moved an additional 4% of their students -- or about 138,000 more youngsters -- into the proficient category from below it.
In Los Angeles County, 90% of schools increased the numbers of proficient students; as did 86% in Orange County, 78% in Ventura County, 77% in Riverside County and 84% in San Bernardino County.
However, some schools with higher scores on the state standards tests appeared troubled through the lens of the federal No Child Left Behind law.
