Despite all the budget cuts, despite all the layoffs, California’s schools are getting better, and Santa Clara is at the top of the pack. Three local elementary schools—Faria Elementary in Cupertino, Murdock-Portal Elementary in San Jose, and Millikin Elementary in Santa Clara—were named the highest scoring schools in the state, based on the Academic Performance Index test results.

The state as a whole is inching toward its goal of an average API score of 800 or higher. Just under half the schools in the state—46 percent—have reached that goal, while the state average is 767, 13 points higher than last year. Santa Clara has long surpassed the target score, with an average score of 818.

One problem that continues to plague the state is the disparity of scores among minorities. Asian American scored the highest, with an API average of 889. They are followed by whites, with 838. Coming below the target score are Latinos, with 715, and African Americans, with just 685. In other words, for the state to achieve its goal, it must develop a strategy to boost the scores of African American and Latino students.
Read More at KLIV.
Read More at NBC Bay Area.