The Denair Unified School District is making gains in core academics, according to the 2013 Standardized Testing and Reporting results released by the California Department of Education.
The 2013 STAR results show students in the Denair Unified School District showed major improvement in math and science, with more students falling in the proficient to advanced range than last year.
The STAR program is divided into four subcategories of tests. Students attain one of five levels of performance on the California Standards Tests, giving an overall view of students’ learning for each subject tested: Advanced, proficient, basic, below basic, and far below basic.
Approximately 4.7 million students participated in the 2013 STAR program, with 51.2 percent of students scoring proficient and above in math, 0.3 percent lower than last year, and 56.4 percent of students scoring proficient or above in English-language arts, 0.8 percent lower than last year.
"As you would expect for a school system in transition, results varied from grade to grade, subject to subject, and school to school, but the big picture is one of remarkable resilience despite the challenges," Torlakson said. "While we all want to see California's progresses continue, these results show that in the midst of change and uncertainty, teachers and schools kept their focus on students and learning. That's a testament to the depth of their commitment to their students and the future of our state."
In Denair, recent transitions in leadership and budget problems weren't negatively reflected in test scores.
At DUSD, 46 percent of second through 11th graders tested proficient or advanced level in English-language arts, compared to 43 percent last year. In mathematics, of the second through seventh graders tested in the district, 59 percent scored in proficient or advanced range this year, compared to 51.5 percent last year. In history, of the eighth and 11th graders tested in the district, 31.4 percent scored proficient or advanced this year, compared to 27.6 percent last year. In science, of the fifth, eight, and 10th graders tested, 46 percent of students scored proficient or advanced this year, compared to 41.1 percent last year.
Hilmar Unified School District had a slight drop in core academics, with fewer students falling in the proficient to advanced range this year compared to last year.
According to the STAR results, 50.3 percent of students scored proficient or advanced in the English-language arts category, compared to 52.3 percent last year. In mathematics, of the second through seventh graders tested in the district, 50.3 percent of students scored in proficient or advanced, compared to 57.5 percent last year. In history, 43 percent of students tested in the district scored proficient or advanced, compared to 44 percent last year. In science CST, of the fifth, eighth, and 10th graders tested, 62.5 percent scored proficient or advanced, compared to 63.4 percent last year.
In other schools, Delhi Unified School District also had a drop in the STAR test results. In Delhi’s English-language arts category, 49.6 percent of students scored proficient or advanced, compared to 53.6 percent last year. In mathematics, of the second through seventh graders tested in the district, 54.1 percent of students scored proficient or advanced, compared to 57.4 percent last year. In history, of the eighth and 11th graders tested in the district, 38.8 percent of students scored proficient or advanced, compared to 43.4 percent last year.
