Student STARs: Westport scores high in state testing

With 60 percent of its students learning to speak English and nearly nine in 10 coming from low-income families, Westport Elementary School isn't supposed to be a high-performing school, Principal Marla Mack said. But it is.

Depending on the grade, 67 percent to 80 percent of the students scored proficient or above in English on state test scores released Tuesday. The county average is 46.6 percent.

"Every grade level had something to be proud of because they all made gains in one way or another," Mack said of the school on South Carpenter Road near Hatch Road.

Westport's students are outpacing others because teachers are talking less and using more interactive activities that keep students engaged. For example, teachers deliver a lesson then check on students by randomly calling on them for answers or having students answer questions on individual dry-erase boards. The benefit is immediate feedback.

"Teachers are used to giving information and not checking for understanding until students turn in paperwork," Mack said. "Now, they're getting feedback in 10 or 20 minutes."

Westport is one of many schools in Stanislaus County that improved on state test scores, according to the data released by the California Department of Education on Tuesday.

The state issues the results of the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program every fall. The students are tested in spring, and reports are sent home over the summer so parents can see where their children ranked in English, math, history and science.

Teachers use the results to tailor instruction.

Figures show a slight narrowing of the achievement gap between low- income and affluent students and between Latinos and blacks, and their white counterparts. But a deep divide remains among those groups, especially those who speak English and those learning the language.

"The good news is that the county is outscoring the state average" in many categories, said Susan Rich, assistant superintendent of instructional support services at the Stanislaus County Office of Education. "The Central Valley typically, with socioeconomic and some of our other issues, tends to trail behind the state."

STAR is divided into four categories -- the California Standards Tests, two tests for special education students and one for Spanish speakers.

The most overarching, the CSTs reflect how well students have learned the state's academic content standards. Students in grades two through 11 take the exams and their performance lands them in one of five categories -- advanced, proficient, basic, below basic and far below basic. The goal is to get all students in the top two groups.

In English, 46.6 percent of the county's students scored proficient or above; the figure is 42.7 percent in math, according to numbers calculated by the county office of education.

Modesto City Schools saw leaps in grades two through seven, some of them double digits in students reaching proficiency on English and math.

Officials linked that to better teacher training over the past two years.

"Administrators are also increasing their time in the classroom monitoring instruction," said Craig Rydquist, an associate superintendent.

A number of districts are concentrating on students scoring in the lower two categories -- below basic and far below basic.

Getting students engaged

Schools like Westport Elementary are focusing more on engaging students and making sure they understand what they're learning, said Mary Jones, assistant superintendent of educational services at Ceres Unified School District.