Memo: To: The Public Fm: Wayne Martin/Palo Alto, CA Dt: December 20th, 2011 Re: Palo Alto

(CA) Unified School District CST Math Scores (2005-06) The following data, taken from the California Department of Educations web-site, provides the detailed results for the California STAR English Language (ELA) and Mathematics Tests for the Palo Alto (CA) Unified School District (PAUSD) for the 2005-06 school year: PAUSD STAR Scores By School/Grade (2005-2006)
ScriptFile: get_pa_star_data_2006.sql ReportName: Average CST STAR Tests By School/Grade CST/ELA Scores Test ID 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 Students Tested 797 753 785 795 816 765 811 827 797 615 74 57 61 66 46 47 41 40 46 55 51 44 79 77 Percent Tested 97.2 98.2 98.7 98.8 97.0 97.5 97.7 93.8 88.6 74.5 98.7 95.0 98.4 100.0 92.0 92.2 100.0 93.0 93.9 96.5 92.7 100.0 98.8 100.0 Performance Level Advanced Proficient Advanced Advanced Advanced Proficient Advanced Advanced Advanced Proficient Proficient Proficient Advanced Advanced Proficient Proficient Proficient Proficient Proficient Proficient Proficient Proficient Advanced Advanced

School Name School District Wide School District Wide School District Wide School District Wide School District Wide School District Wide School District Wide School District Wide School District Wide School District Wide Addison Elementary Addison Elementary Addison Elementary Addison Elementary Barron Park Elementary Barron Park Elementary Barron Park Elementary Barron Park Elementary Briones (Juana) Elementary Briones (Juana) Elementary Briones (Juana) Elementary Briones (Juana) Elementary Duveneck Elementary Duveneck Elementary

Grade 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 2 3

MSS 403.9 388.5 421.4 406.4 398.4 400.1 401.0 404.2 396.6 392.0 391.0 391.3 439.3 404.8 381.1 357.8 390.3 386.7 398.8 369.8 387.0 377.2 412.5 415.4

Duveneck Elementary Duveneck Elementary El Carmelo Elementary El Carmelo Elementary El Carmelo Elementary El Carmelo Elementary Escondido Elementary Escondido Elementary Escondido Elementary Escondido Elementary Fairmeadow Elementary Fairmeadow Elementary Fairmeadow Elementary Fairmeadow Elementary Gunn (Henry M.) High Gunn (Henry M.) High Gunn (Henry M.) High Hays (Walter) Elementary Hays (Walter) Elementary Hays (Walter) Elementary Hays (Walter) Elementary Hoover (Herbert) Elem Hoover (Herbert) Elem Hoover (Herbert) Elem Hoover (Herbert) Elem Jordan (David Starr) Midd Jordan (David Starr) Midd Jordan (David Starr) Midd Nixon (Lucille M.) Elementary Nixon (Lucille M.) Elementary Nixon (Lucille M.) Elementary Nixon (Lucille M.) Elementary Ohlone Elementary Ohlone Elementary Ohlone Elementary Ohlone Elementary Palo Alto High

4 5 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

84 66 60 60 62 66 87 69 79 72 60 60 63 65 432 433 357 82 85 86 90 60 60 63 63 295 286 283

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 98.9 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 98.4 100.0 96.0 94.3 88.8 98.8 98.8 98.9 96.8 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 99.7 97.3 97.9

429.3 418.2 421.7 376.8 418.6 403.1 383.6 373.5 412.8 398.4 412.6 377.8 414.5 398.7 399.2 395.9 384.9 410.8 410.6 431.5 401.7 421.6 407.8 456.3 431.8 396.6 400.3 406.4

Advanced Advanced Advanced Proficient Advanced Advanced Proficient Proficient Advanced Advanced Advanced Proficient Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Proficient Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Proficient Advanced

2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 9

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

75 59 61 88 69 64 68 68 392

93.8 100.0 96.8 100.0 93.2 94.1 100.0 97.1 91.8

421.5 382.6 427.2 420.9 390.2 386.1 419.6 415.6 410.3

Advanced Proficient Advanced Advanced Proficient Proficient Advanced Advanced Advanced

Palo Alto High Palo Alto High Palo Verde Elementary Palo Verde Elementary Palo Verde Elementary Palo Verde Elementary Stanford (Jane Lathrop) Middle Stanford (Jane Lathrop) Middle Stanford (Jane Lathrop) Middle Terman Middle Terman Middle Terman Middle

10 11 2 3 4 5

7 7 7 7 7 7

358 254 59 60 63 65

83.1 60.9 98.3 100.0 100.0 98.5

398.6 404.3 398.9 390.8 407.5 399.9

Advanced Advanced Proficient Proficient Advanced Advanced

6 7 8 6 7 8

7 7 7 7 7 7

307 256 302 207 220 220

95.0 95.9 98.4 97.2 100.0 96.9

398.0 388.8 393.3 403.8 414.1 406.8

Advanced Proficient Proficient Advanced Advanced Advanced

CST ELA Scores

425.0 420.0 415.0 410.0 405.0 400.0 395.0 390.0 385.0 380.0 375.0 370.0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Grades: 2-11 10 11

CST ELA Score

CST ELA Scores

CST ELA Scores

CST/MATH Scores

School Name School District Wide

Grade 2

Test ID 8

Students Tested 797

Percent Tested 97.2

MSS 444.8

Performance Level Advanced

School District Wide School District Wide School District Wide School District Wide School District Wide Addison Elementary Addison Elementary Addison Elementary Addison Elementary Barron Park Elementary Barron Park Elementary Barron Park Elementary Barron Park Elementary Briones (Juana) Elementary Briones (Juana) Elementary Briones (Juana) Elementary Briones (Juana) Elementary Duveneck Elementary Duveneck Elementary Duveneck Elementary Duveneck Elementary El Carmelo Elementary El Carmelo Elementary El Carmelo Elementary El Carmelo Elementary Escondido Elementary Escondido Elementary Escondido Elementary Escondido Elementary Fairmeadow Elementary Fairmeadow Elementary Fairmeadow Elementary Fairmeadow Elementary Hays (Walter) Elementary Hays (Walter) Elementary Hays (Walter) Elementary Hays (Walter) Elementary Hoover (Herbert) Elem Hoover (Herbert) Elem Hoover (Herbert) Elem Hoover (Herbert) Elem

3 4 5 6 7 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

754 785 793 817 763 74 57 61 65 46 48 41 40 46 55 52 44 79 77 84 66 60 60 62 66 87 69 79 72 60 60 62 65 82 85 86 90 60 60 63 63

98.3 98.7 98.5 97.1 97.2 98.7 95.0 98.4 98.5 92.0 94.1 100.0 93.0 93.9 96.5 94.5 100.0 98.8 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 98.9 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 96.9 100.0 98.8 98.8 98.9 96.8 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

437.6 434.7 450.1 413.9 409.0 442.1 418.5 490.3 470.3 412.2 390.2 382.4 405.7 418.6 434.9 411.2 440.0 450.0 463.7 437.2 472.5 472.9 410.6 426.8 423.6 436.1 431.6 444.6 465.5 478.3 422.1 427.8 433.4 457.3 462.1 428.4 421.8 468.1 483.9 468.4 494.8

Advanced Advanced Advanced Proficient Proficient Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Proficient Proficient Proficient Proficient Advanced Advanced Proficient Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Proficient Proficient Proficient Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Proficient Advanced Advanced Advanced Proficient Proficient Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced

Jordan (David Starr) Midd Jordan (David Starr) Midd Nixon (Lucille M.) Elementary Nixon (Lucille M.) Elementary Nixon (Lucille M.) Elementary Nixon (Lucille M.) Elementary Ohlone Elementary Ohlone Elementary Ohlone Elementary Ohlone Elementary Palo Verde Elementary Palo Verde Elementary Palo Verde Elementary Palo Verde Elementary Stanford (Jane Lathrop) Middle Stanford (Jane Lathrop) Middle Terman Middle Terman Middle Source: CA DoED

6 7

8 8

295 285

99.7 96.9

403.3 412.3

Proficient Proficient

2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 5

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

75 59 61 88 69 64 68 68 59 60 63 65

93.8 100.0 96.8 100.0 93.2 94.1 100.0 97.1 98.3 100.0 100.0 98.5

437.1 430.9 448.0 485.7 427.7 440.4 402.6 435.9 424.8 436.2 432.6 430.2

Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Proficient Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced

6 7 6 7

8 8 8 8

308 255 207 220

95.4 95.5 97.2 100.0

414.3 394.4 431.1 423.5

Proficient Proficient Advanced Advanced

PA CST MATH Scores

460.0 450.0 440.0 430.0 420.0 410.0 400.0 390.0 380.0 2 3 4 5 S1 6 7 Series5

CST MATH Scores

Grades: 2-7

Observations: 1) There is a noticeable decline in STAR ELA and MATH scores from Grade 2 through Grade 7. The PAUSD has never openly admitted that this decline exists, or why they think it exists. 2) Some schools, such as Briones and Barron Park did not show Advanced Testing results for the ELA (English) STAR tests for any of the grades being taught at those schools. 3) Terman students test better that Jordan and JLS students in the Mathematics tests. 4) Some schools show a decline from Advanced to Proficient for a single year. These declines generally are not explained by the PAUSD to the public, but could represent problems within a given schools mathematics teaching staff. These sorts of issues can only be tracked using data that is generally not available to the public. If the PAUSD Administration does not monitor these situations, then students may not be afforded the highest quality education. Comments:

The PAUSD could generate these sorts of reports for the Board of Trustees, the parents, and the publicbut does not seem to have done so. Certainly parents, and the taxpaying public, should have access to this sort of information. Additionally, school board members should be expected to both understand, and to explain, the trends in STAR/API scores in the schools, on a year-by-year basis. It is hard to find yearly performance reports such as these published by PAUSD. The California Department of Education web-site does provide access to some pre-canned reports, but the detail of the data provided to the public in these reports does not equal that available from generating customized reports from the raw data. The PAUSD should make an effort to be as transparent as possible, when it comes to student performance, and school performance.