The Perfect School

California holds all public schools accountable based on something called the API - the Academic Performance Index. It's a number that the state derives from results on tests given to students starting in 2nd grade. For grades 2 through 8, those tests are based on math and language arts. Part of the test is directly based on the state content standards, and part of the test is a nationally normed standardized test. That sounds kinda weird - the part based on the standards is not standardized! And the part that IS standardized isn't based on the standards! Such is the beauty of the politics of California education.

So my school's in trouble with California for not making any improvement in our API this past school year. The previous school year we were in the Top 10 in the entire county in improvement, but we flatlined last year - no loss, no gain.

California has a goal that all schools be at or above 800 on the API. My school is at a 593. Two schools have now achieved a perfect 1000. What wondrous reforms have these schools made? Surely these schools must be paragons of educational rectitude.

I've come to the belief that schools and classrooms ought to, as best they can, reflect the kind of wider society we wish to create. And so the following article just makes me shake my head in disbelief. This, based on the API, is the perfect school???

Click here to read the article.