Area high school rewarded for improved API scores

Angelique Flores

Huntington Beach Union High School District’s Westminster High School

will likely receive part of the state’s $100 million allocated for the

Certificated Staff Performance Incentive Act.

Under this act, credentialed teachers and administrators at schools

that have made improvements in their Academic Performance Index will

receive bonuses.

Westminster High School ranked fifth out of the 31 eligible schools.

“We’re excited about the fact that they’ve done so well,” said Jerry

White, the district’s director of curriculum development.

Schools that showed the largest gains will receive the most money.

About 1,000 certificated staff members in schools with the greatest gains

will receive $25,000 each, 3,750 certificated staff members will receive

$10,000 each, and 7,500 certificated staff members will receive $5,000

each. The high school district won’t know how much money it will receive.

Eligibility required a school to have a statewide API rank between one

and five in 1999. In addition, schools needed to show growth on the

Stanford 9 test from 1998-1999, 2000 API must show at least twice the

annual growth target, all subgroups must make 80% or two times the

school’s growth target, elementary and middle schools must have a 95%

Stanford 9 participation rate and high schools must have a 90% Stanford 9

participation rate.

“They’ve implemented an extensive reading program, lowered class sizes

to 20 to one . . . there’s a lot of people working hard,” White said.

“It’s nice for the staff to get recognized for their hard work.”

Ocean View School District’s Sun View Elementary School made the

eligibility list, but ranked 316 of the 1,185. Because of the limited

funds available, the California Department of Education estimates that

elementary schools within a ranking of 210 will receive funds.

“We’re extremely pleased with their performance,” said Karen Colby,

Ocean View’s director of curriculum and instruction. “But we’re very

disappointed that they qualify but won’t see any of of the money.”

These rankings, however, could change. Pending litigation challenging

the eligibility criteria could result in additional schools becoming

eligible for this award. These additional schools would bump schools to a

lower rank.

The state will distribute funds in May.