Redondo Posts Test Score Gains

Students' standardized test scores from posted gains from 2010 to 2011, according to results released Monday by the state Department of Education.

More than 6,000 students in RBUSD took the 2011 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) tests. About 75 percent of students scored as advanced or proficient on the English-language arts test in 2011; in 2010, about 72 percent scored as advanced or proficient. On the mathematics exams for second through seventh grade, as well as the end-of-course exams, about 67 percent of students scored as advanced or proficient in 2011, while about 65 percent of students scored as advanced or proficient in 2010.

Students are evaluated against five benchmarks: "advanced," "proficient," "basic," "below basic" and "far below basic."

On the eighth-grade, 11th-grade and end-of-course history exams, 70 percent of students scored as advanced or proficient in 2011; in 2010, about 68 percent of students scored as advanced or proficient.

About 82 percent of students scored as proficient or advanced on the fifth-, eighth- and 10th-grade science exams in 2011. About 79 percent of student scored as proficient or advanced on the same tests in 2010. For the end-of-course science exam, about 65 percent of students scored as proficient or advanced in 2011, while about 63 percent of students scored as proficient or advanced in 2010.

Test scores increased in both Los Angeles County and across the state, according to the data. In Los Angeles County, about 1.2 million students were tested. Statewide, about 4.7 million students took part in the 2011 STAR program, which includes multiple tests.

Of the more than 1.5 million students tested in the county, 51 percent scored advanced or proficient in English-language arts and about 48 percent of students scored advanced or proficient in mathematics. In 2010, about 48 percent of students scored as advanced or proficient in English, and 45 percent scored as advanced or proficient in mathematics.

In the state of California in 2011, about 54 percent of students scored as advanced or proficient in English-language arts, and about 50 percent scored as advanced or proficient in mathematics.

"The significant and sustained improvements we've seen for nine consecutive years prove how hard teachers, school employees, administrators and parents are working to help students achieve despite budget cuts that have affected our schools," said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. "Their heroic teamwork is paying off for California."

Nevertheless, county and state results show there's still an achievement gap—black, Latino, English-learner and low-income students lag behind their peers.

"We have more work to do to make sure every student receives the world-class education he or she deserves and has the opportunity to achieve their dreams and contribute to the success of our state," he said. "I'm committed to that effort—and to working with California's leaders to provide our schools and our communities with the resources they need."

City News Service contributed to this report.