Schools Receive Academic Progress Rankings
Author: Rick Phelan
Published: 05.29.13
Fifty-three percent of Sonoma County schools are now in the top half of the state’s similar school ranking system according to the testing data released on May 24 by the California Department of Education. This is an increase over last year, when 50 percent of local schools were in the top half.
Twelve schools earned a score of 10, the highest similar school ranking, up from 11 schools last year. Similar school ranks are part of the state’s 2012 Base API report, which also includes statewide ranks and academic growth targets for every school in California. This data is based on Spring 2012 testing. It will be compared to the results of Spring 2013 testing to measure the annual academic progress of public schools. That comparison data, known as the Growth API report, will be available in the fall. Similar school ranks use a 1 to 10 scale to compare elementary, middle, and high schools with common demographic characteristics.
Rank 10 means the school performed above at least 90 of its 100 similar schools. Rank 1 means the school performed below at least 90 of its 100 similar schools. Many schools experience annual shifts in their similar school rank due to variances in their API score and the rise and fall of performance among schools in their comparison group. However, similar school ranking is considered an important measure of how well schools are performing.
2012 Sonoma County Similar School Rankings: List of All Schools (pdf)
A number of Sonoma County schools have been consistently high-scoring in the similar schools ranking system, indicating that they are top performers when compared to schools that have like characteristics and similar student populations. Schools currently in ranks 10 and 9 that have earned top scores for two or more years are listed below.
Current Rank 10 Schools | Consecutive Years in Rank 10
J.X. Wilson School | 8 years
Two Rock Union School | 7 years
Douglas L. Whited School | 7 years
Robert L. Stevens School | 6 years
Guerneville School | 4 years
Technology High School | 4 years
Hillcrest Middle School | 2 years
Village School | 2 years
Current Rank 9 Schools | Consecutive Years in Rank 9 or Better
Luther Burbank School | 7 years
Salmon Creek School | 3 years
Petaluma High School | 2 years
Piner-Olivet Charter School | 2 years
Santa Rosa Charter School | 2 years
Santa Rosa Middle School | 2 years
The Sonoma County Office of Education provides additional resources to assist schools and the community interested in learning more about the rankings and other aspects of school accountability. Listings of all Sonoma County schools grouped by rank and an online Data Dashboard that provides five years of demographic and performance data searchable by school are available online at www.scoe.org/dashboard.
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