By Cathy Spaulding
Most area public school districts posted higher Academic Performance Indexes for 2008 than for 2007, according to figures released Thursday by the Oklahoma Department of Education.
The increases reflect an upward trend in the state average Academic Performance Index, from 1252 for 2007 to 1279 for 2008.
The districtwide Academic Performance Index for Muskogee Public Schools rose 25 points to 1125 for 2008, although five MPS schools posted lower API scores. Boosting the district API were significant gains at Whittier and Irving elementary schools. Whittier’s API rose by more than 200 points to 1092, while Irving rose from 940 to 1024.
MPS Assistant Superintendent for Instruction and Curriculum Derryl Venters attributed the overall increase to “very good professional development.” She said groups of teachers at grade levels and subject areas are getting together in professional learning communities.
“They are closing the learning gap,” Venters said. “Teachers are owning their learning.”
Sadler Arts Academy reached Muskogee Public Schools’ highest API at 1416, even though it was down from 2007.
“I’m happy whenever we make over 1400,” said Sadler Principal Maudye Winget. “Just as long as students are doing their best.”
Winget said Sadler’s score was affected by student attendance.
“We have the highest attendance rate in the district, near perfect,” she said. “But even with a 96 percent attendance, at our high scores, it will affect us.”
While several area schools reached above 1400, no area schools reached the 1500 perfect score that Fort Gibson’s Early Learning Center had earned in 2006 and 2007. The Early Learning Center’s API for 2008 was 1477.
Significant increases at Hilldale Middle School helped raise the API at Hilldale Public Schools from 1337 in 2007 to 1358 in 2008. Elementary School Principal Faye Garrison, who coordinates testing, said the middle school was the only Hilldale school to raise its API, from 1238 to 1323.
Garrison said the API at the Lower Elementary dropped more than 100 points from 1476 to 1356, primarily because of lower third-grade reading scores.
Fort Gibson Public Schools’ API reached 1405, up from 1399 for 2007.
Fort Gibson Special Services Director Marilyn Dewoody said attendance problems and third-grade test scores kept the Early Learning Center from reaching the 1500 mark for a third year.
Dewoody said the district is making good progress in raising APIs for all its sub groups, especially students in its Individualized Education Plans, or IEPs. Students in these programs are usually those with delayed skills or other disabilities.
“Even our IEP groups score was over the state target,” she said.
About API
The Academic Performance Index, or API, is a numeric score between 0 and 1500 measuring a school or district’s performance and progress in three areas:
• Standardized test scores on reading/language arts and mathematics.
• Attendance rates.
• Graduation rates.
Area API results
First number is for 2006, the second is for 2007, third for 2008.
MUSKOGEE: 1086, 1107, 1125.
• Cherokee: 1357, 1329, 1175.
• Creek: 1302, 1273, 1281.
• Ben Franklin Science Academy: 1071, 1149, 1224.
• Grant Foreman: 1246, 1211, 1128.
• Harris-Jobe: 1104, 1111, 1045.
• Irving: 917, 940, 1024.
• Pershing: 1249, 1220, 1274.
• Sadler: 1345, 1456, 1416.
• Tony Goetz: 1274, 1283, 1265.
• Whittier: 696, 807, 1092.
• 7th and 8th Grade Center: 990, 1047, 1075.
• High School: 1025, 1105, 1120.
MUSKOGEE COUNTY
BOYNTON: 1193, 907, 723.
• Elementary: 1365, 1092, 789.
• High School: N.A., N.A.
BRAGGS: 1066, 1042, 1066.
• Elementary: 1069, 1074, 1136.
• High School: N.A., N.A.
FORT GIBSON: 1397, 1399, 1405.
• Early Learning Center: 1500, 1500, 1477.
• Intermediate: 1444, 1429, 1450.
• Middle School: 1444, 1430, 1427.
• High School: 1271, 1353, 1369.
HASKELL: 1141, 1205, 1204.
• Mary White Elementary: 1226, 1293, 1315.
• Middle School: 1230, 1209, 1245.
• High School: 995, 1165, 1032.
HILLDALE: 1308, 1337, 1358.
• Lower Elementary: 1450, 1476, 1356.
• Upper Elementary: 1398, 1430, 1421.
• Middle School: 1253, 1238, 1323.
• High School: 1252, 1374, 1325.
OKTAHA: 1268, 1295, 1329.
• Elementary: 1292, 1312, 1338.
• High School: 1340, 1381, 1365.
PORUM: 963, 1161, 1203.
• Elementary: 948, 1160, 1210.
• High School: 993, 1233, 1246.
WAINWRIGHT: 1404, 1401, 1314.
WARNER: 1229, 1269, 1335.
• Elementary: 1278, 1339, 1373.
• High School: 1132, 1081, 1303.
WEBBERS FALLS: 1038, 1084, 1146.
• Elementary: 1112, 1119, 1166.
• High School: 983, 1229, 1333.
CHEROKEE COUNTY
BRIGGS: 1236, 1280, 1258.
HULBERT: 1014, 982, 1063.
• Elementary: 997, 879, 1074.
• Middle School: 1225, 1222,1155.
• High School: 952, 1096, 1093.
KEYS: 1169, 1228, 1296.
• Elementary: 1275, 1311, 1383.
• High School: 991, 1201, 1245.
LOST CITY: 1140, 1114, 931.
LOWREY: 1346, 1351, 1086.
NORWOOD: 1397, 1330, 1380.
TAHLEQUAH: 1229, 1297, 1329.
• Central Elementary: 1287, 1319, N.A.
• Cherokee Elementary: 1287, 1319, 1379.
• Greenwood Elementary: 1386, 1395, 1488.
• Sequoyah Elementary: 1380, 1495, 1458.
• Middle School: N.A. 1288, 1330.
• High School: 1137, 1245, 1292.
WOODALL: 1178. 1211, 1296.
HASKELL COUNTY
STIGLER: 1224, 1281, 1226.
• Elementary School: 1350, 1282, 1242.
• Middle School: 1208, 1298, 1237.
• High School: 1108, 1269, 1336.
McINTOSH COUNTY
CHECOTAH: 1153, 1165, 1215.
• Checotah Elementary: 1264, 1186, 1299.
• Marshall Elementary: 1123, 999, 1384.
• Middle School: 1224, 1228, 1228.
• High School: 1066, 1164, 1170.
EUFAULA: 1297, 1342, 1349.
• Elementary: 1317, 1395, 1400.
• Middle School: 1269, 1326, 1343.
• High School: 1255, 1335, 1304.
MIDWAY: 1064, 1076, 1227.
• Elementary: 1137, 1105, 1313.
• High School: 1037, 1199, 1194.
STIDHAM: 1095, 1197, 1384.
SEQUOYAH COUNTY
GORE: 1114, 1203, 1258.
• Elementary: 1269, 1355, 1289.
• Upper Elementary: 1095, 1168, 1298.
• High School: 1129, 1206, 1271.
MARBLE CITY: 1183, 987, 1039.
SALLISAW: 1260, 1298, 1346.
• Eastside Elementary: 1378, 1365, 1406.
• Liberty Elementary: 1288, 1262, 1362.
• Middle School: 1320, 1329, 1383.
• High School: 1125, 1186, 1267.
VIAN: N.A, 1315, 1344
• Elementary: 1033, 1429, 1460.
• Middle School: 1318, 1311, 1373.
• High School: 996, 1301, 1239.
WAGONER COUNTY
OKAY: 1042, 1002, 1059.
• Elementary: 1138, 1073, 1101.
• High School: 953, 967, 1167.
PORTER: 1098, 1074, 1160.
• Elementary: 1115, 1043, 1155.
• High School: 1020, 1155,1173.
WAGONER: 1163, 1239, 1265.
• Central Elementary: 1277, 1305, 1317.
• Ellington Elementary: 1329, 1341, 1409.
• Lincoln Elementary: 1345, 1360, N.A.
• William Teague Elementary: 1345, 1360, 1431.
• Middle School: 1167, 1272, 1255.
• High School: 1066, 1172, 1203.
