English test scores are up

English proficiency increased among Newport-Mesa Unified School District students in all grades tested by state standardized tests, according to test results released by the district Monday, but some Newport-Mesa schools have a long way to go before meeting the 100% English and math proficiency by 2014 goal set by No Child Left Behind.

The percentage of students deemed proficient in English based on STAR results grew from 1% to 8% in every grade from second to 11th.

“This is probably one of the best years of achievement we’ve seen in the last 10 years,” said district Director of Assessment Peggy Anatol.

District officials attribute the gains in large part to teachers and principals tracking the progress of individual students, and taking students who are having trouble with particular subjects out of class for special instruction.

Results in math aren’t as universally good. While some grade levels, such as second, fourth and sixth, posted solid gains, others, such as fifth and seventh, showed slight declines.

The district as a whole saw an overall positive trend in both math and English, but there are big differences in the achievement of individual schools. For instance, 89% of the students at Andersen Elementary School in Newport Beach are considered proficient in English, which was the highest average elementary school score in the district, compared with only 31% at Pomona Elementary School in Costa Mesa, which was the lowest score.

The same rift exists in math, where Harbor View Elementary School in Corona del Mar scored a 90% proficiency rating, while Rea Elementary School in Costa Mesa scored a 38%.

The statistics come into play in the fall, when schools that are failing to meet national standards get labeled “program improvement” schools.

Parents whose kids are zoned for those schools then have the option to instead send their students to other district schools that don’t have the stigma.

Of all of the Newport-Mesa schools, Pomona, Rea and Wilson elementary schools, TeWinkle Middle School, and Estancia High School were on the 2008 list of program improvement schools.

The updated list is expected to come out in September.