Test Scores Remain High for Benicia Schools

Enrollment at (BUSD) may be slightly down, but test scores are up. Despite continued budget problems and a pending $1.9 million deficit, Benicia schools continue to perform well on state and federal standardized tests.

Superintendent Janice Adams presented test scores for the 2010-2011 school year to the BUSD Board of Trustees at their regular meeting Sept. 15. In her report, Adams said that the aggregate (API) test scores administered by the State of California grew in every school. “Our API scores continue to soar,” Adams said. “That is thanks to the wonderful, wonderful teachers that we have here in Benicia and the hard-working classified staff that support our students, and the parents that are involved.” 

BUSD received a district-wide score of 853, which is 11 points higher from the 2009-2010 school year.

Federal testing scores were up as well. The requirement for the federally mandated Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) exam, was to have 66.7 percent of students in the district at grade level proficiency in math and English for the 2010/2011 school year. Benicia schools exceeded expectations in both categories, with 74.5 percent of student scoring as proficient or advanced in English, an increase of 3.1 percent from last year, and 71.3 percent at proficiency or above in mathematics. AYP standards also measure the District’s graduation rate, which for is at 90 percent.

Scores did decrease by 1 percent, however, for Latino students, who, according to Trustee make up less than 10 percent of the total student population. Also, although the district overall met or exceeded AYP standards, at least two schools, and ,  did not meet standards in both math and English.

Online Activities

In the same meeting, the board considered new policies that govern online activities for the district, including protocols for Web content, the district website and social media. In the first reading of the new policy, board members discussed requiring parents to opt-in to have their students' pictures with names represented on any online publication administered by the District.

“When it comes to children’s safety on the Internet, that’s a no-brainer, (parents) have to opt in on that,” said Trustee Dana Dean. The policy will return to the board for approval at the next scheduled board meeting on Oct. 6.