Local schools compare well in testing scores

Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley schools compared favorably to the state average in yearly academic performance rankings released Wednesday.

The local school districts surpassed the state target score of 800 on the Academic Performance Index, which measures students’ performance based on standardized tests.

The Huntington Beach City School District rose from 889 to 895, the Huntington Beach Union High School District from 828 to 834, and the Ocean View School District from 857 to 868.

The Fountain Valley School District fell slightly from 893 to 892.

Across California, 55% of elementary schools, 43% of middle schools and 28% of high schools met or surpassed 800, according to a state news release. The API ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000.

Also released Wednesday were scores for Adequate Yearly Progress, a federal No Child Left Behind system that measures how many students score as proficient or higher.

No Child Left Behind requires schools and districts that receive federal Title I funds and do not make AYP criteria for two consecutive years to be identified for Program Improvement. When a school or district is in Program Improvement, it is subject to a five-year intervention timeline.

Huntington Beach Union and Ocean View were listed under Year 3 of Program Improvement, Fountain Valley under Year 1.

Only Huntington Beach City did not make the list.