Gains, drops on test scores

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District surpassed the state average this year on the Academic Performance Index, posting a higher overall mark even as some schools slipped. The district also bested the state on the federal Adequate Yearly Progress report, which was released Thursday along with the state marks. School district officials expressed concern, however, as three schools — Pomona Elementary, Wilson Elementary and TeWinkle Middle School — may be forced to adjust their programs after failing to meet federal standards for five years in a row.

All three schools are identified as schools with low-income populations and flagging test scores. Schools enter the program after two years of missing the federal mark. In year three of the program, schools must replace faculty, instate new curricula or make other interventions.

The principals of the schools could not be reached for comment. Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard said he planned to enlist the teachers' union and the school board to help find a solution.

"We were really surprised about those test scores, and so we are examining what our options are right now, identifying what people think is appropriate and giving them all the energy and support we can," he said.

The reports released Thursday measure schools' progress in different ways. The Academic Performance Index, compiled by the state, compares standardized test scores to those from the year before so even a low-performing school can post good marks if it shows improvement. The federal system, created under the No Child Left Behind Act, holds every campus to the same standard, meaning that fast-improving schools can still fall short.

This year, the state changed some of its criteria, tracking special-education and English-learner students for the first time. Peggy Anatol, the school district's assessment director, credited those scores for the drop from last year, when 31 of Newport-Mesa's 32 campuses received positive state marks.

"Last year was an exceptional year with a lot of double-digit growth," she said. "This year, with some of the new state rulings, we knew it was going to impact us. We did not know to what extent."