Los Angeles Unified School District

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA RELATIONS 333 S. Beaudry Ave., 24th floor Los Angeles, CA 90017 Phone: (213) 241-6766 FAX: (213) 241-8952 www.lausd.net 1200 N. Cornwell St. Los Angeles, CA 90033 (323) 342-0428

News Release
August 15, 2011 #11/12-015

For Immediate Release

LAUSD 2011 STAR RESULTS SHOW STEADY PROGRESS

Los AngelesStudents in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) continue to show steady progress in English language arts and mathematics, increasing in the proficient and advanced categories, especially at the elementary level, based on 2011 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) results released today by the California Department of Education. LAUSD students outpaced the gains posted by the state in both English language arts and mathematics. In math, the District doubled the gains reported by the state. Districtwide, in grades two through 11, the proficiency rate in English language arts increased three points, from 41 percent to 44 percent; and in mathematics, the proficiency rate jumped four points, from 39 percent to 43 percent. Overall, proficiency rates increased for every grade level and nearly all tested subjects on the California Standards Tests (CST). The results are remarkable. It is especially strong considering the budget cuts of the last three years. However, we are not where we want to be. But we are nowhere near where we used to be, said LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy. Im incredibly encouraged because I know we can deliver. He discussed the STAR results at a press conference at Reseda High School where he was joined by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and LAUSD Boardmember Tamar Galatzan, who represents the area that includes Reseda High School. Congratulations to the students, teachers and staff that continued working hard to demonstrate learning and achievement, added Board President Mnica Garca. We celebrate the direction of these results and expect continued accelerated growth for all students and every subgroup. Today, LAUSD must reaffirm its commitment to high quality teaching and learning at every level.

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2011 STAR Results

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The Districts continuous progress comes as especially welcome news given massive financial cuts that have led to the layoffs of thousands of teachers over the past three years. To be able to celebrate the achievement of our schools when they have been cut to the bone is unbelievable, said Boardmember Galatzan. At the elementary level, the upward trend in achievement in English language arts continues. Proficiency rates in third, seventh and eighth grades rose five percentage points. In mathematics, second and third grades reported the highest percentage point gains, with increases of six and eight percentage points, respectively. Gains in middle and high schools were more modest. Three LAUSD elementary schoolsPlummer, Barton Hill and Burtonsustained double-digit increases in English language arts from 2010 to 2011, and have shown consistent growth in English language arts over the past four years. Middle school proficiency rates in English language arts also continue to grow, with more than 40 percent of students in middle school scoring proficient or advanced. The highest percentage point increasesfive pointswere in seventh and eighth grades. Students in ninth grade increased their proficiency rate in English language arts by one percentage point, while 10th and 11th grade scores rose three percentage points. In mathematics, middle school scores reflect modest proficiency gains of two and three percentage points in grades six, seventh and eighth among students tested in General Mathematics.
Percent Proficient or Advanced 2006 English Language Arts LAUSD California Mathematics LAUSD California 31 41 31 41 35 43 37 46 39 48 43 50 4 2 12 9 30 42 31 43 34 46 38 50 41 52 44 54 3 2 14 12 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 '10-'11

Percentage Point Gain '06-'11

Superintendent Deasy said that despite the Districts continuous academic success, learning challenges remain and more hard work lies ahead. Specifically, the proficiency rate in mathematics at the high school level remains below 20 percent, except for High School Summative Math, and the achievement gap between White and African-American and Latino students persists, despite recent score increases for all ethnic groups. We continue to have a pernicious achievement gap, Deasy said. The STAR program, which includes the California Standards Tests (CST), assesses students in grades two through 11, including English learners and students with disabilities. The CST is used to measure how well students are achieving Californias

content standards and determines how schools are meeting state and federal accountability requirements. ###