South Orange County’s newest and most controversial charter school may end up logging the highest state test score in the county and one of the highest in California.
The so-called Academic Performance Index ratings – with a possible top score of 1,000 – are released by the state Department of Education in October, but they’re based on student results in the Standardized Testing and Reporting program, which were .
Using those figures, Sue Roche, executive director of Oxford Preparatory Academy in Mission Viejo, projected the school’s API for its first year of existence.
It’s approaching four digits: 997.
Last year, one school in the state hit the 1,000 mark, but that school enrolls only five students, according to the Los Angeles Times. Only two other schools scored higher than 997.
Even though classes don’t begin until next week, Oxford held a ceremony Friday to reveal how each grade level performed on the STAR tests and the total projected API. OPA is a K-8 charter school in the and attracts students from all over the district.
The state considers 800 the performance target for all schools. A score of 900 is generally considered impressive. Capo Unified has 24 elementary and middle schools that have breached the 900 mark. Its highest-ranking traditional school last year was Chaparral Elementary in Ladera Ranch, with a score of 948.
OPA’s projected score combines the figures for the elementary students and middle school students. Looking just at the middle school alone, OPA students scored a perfect 1,000, said Chancellor Jason Watts.
“Students, parents: Give yourself a round of applause. You are phenomenal,” Watts said over a loudspeaker while Queen’s We are the Champions played in the background. The school's mascot is champion.
Parents said the results aren’t about cherry-picking some of CUSD’s best students. What they were most impressed with is the personal growth from one year to the next.
“My child was at basic and below basic” levels, said Julie Collier, one of the parent-founders of the school. “He went to proficient and advanced.”
Mom Gina Schumann said her children made 78-point and 118-point leaps year over year.
Afterward, Roche discounted the scrutiny OPA has experienced. Approval of the school’s charter attracted hundreds of supporters and detractors and even more .
“There’s no scrutiny. We‘re focused. We just did our program like we always do,” Roche said. She said her projection may go up or down a point, but she’s become very accurate over the years at her predictions.
Oxford launched a charter school in Chino Valley the year before the CUSD campus opened. Its first-year scores quickly rose to the top in San Bernardino County. Roche projects this year’s API for the Inland Empire campus to be a 975, improving from its inaugural score of 958.
Last year, Orange County's highest-scoring school was the similarly named (but no relation) Oxford Academy in Cypress, a 7-12 school with an API of 989.
All throughout its first year, OPA urged its students to "soar to 924."
Roche said she got called to the carpet on that one.
"I had a lot of calls from administrators and others saying, 'Are you crazy, Mrs. Roche?' Are you kidding me? We have champions here."
CUEA, union supporters and their board have a problem with that because the mediocre product they offer is a reflection of their priorities (feeding the teachers' union) not educating students. We have seen this in the decisions the union board members like Alpay and Pritchard have made - like secretly kicking back millions to CUEA right after they were sworn in and then lying about it or cutting 3 more weeks from next year. These decisions have negative consequences for students. Can you blame any parent for wanting an alternative? Thank goodness parents in CUSD have choices, limited though they may be; private schools for those who want and can afford them or charters like OPA that are free. And OPA is a great example of what can be accomplished when the demands of unions are excluded and the focus of a school becomes simply educating its students. Congratulations again to the OPA community!
Fake Sharon, who is either Alpay or is channeling Alpay go crawl back in your hole and only come Back when you can show a ounce of respect for this great country of the free!!!
Alpay always struck me as a girlie man. I think you are right.
13, or 3.4 percent, are disabled 24, or 6.3 percent are in a special education program 63, or 16.5 percent, are economically challenged 6, or 1.6 percent, are African-American 27, or 7.6 percent, are Asian 3, or .5 percent, are American Indian or Native Alaskan 35, or 9.2 percent, are Hispanic/Latino
In a rare late-summer meeting, CUEA School Building Representatives voted Tuesday to endorse Amy Hanacek for Trustee Area #1 and John Alpay for Trustee Area #3 . Gary Pritchard, Trustee Area #5 , the current School Board President, was endorsed by Rep Council last spring. Hanacek, Alpay and Pritchard are also endorsed by Capistrano Unified Children First. Check out these websites for each candidate: Amy Hanacek, and Gary Pritchard and John Alpay. Next, the CUEA/PAC Interview team interviewed Hanacek, Schnell and Alpay. Based upon the written questionnaire and the oral interivew, the PAC Interview Team recommended to the CUEA Executive Board, the endorsement of Hanacek and Alpay. The Board deliberated, and then passed on the recommendation to the CUEA Rep Council, who voted to approve the endorsements on August 28.
It amazes me that people who choose to send their children anywhere but their neighborhood public school that keeps the union in control are anti-public education. Each child is different and learns in a different way. IMO, school choice is the best all-around answer for public education. The results at OPA speak volumes about how charter schools can address the diverse needs of students. I hope that future CUSD boards, which hopefully don't include the incumbents who don't believe in first amendment rights, will continue to support charter schools, and not let the union tell them it is bad for public education. I think the union is bad for public education.
Test scores have become extremely important to many people. I sincerely hope that this does not lead to the same results as an over emphasis on SAT scores led to.
Are you and Sharon Y kindred spirits? Sure seems so. By the way, Ken doesn't hide behind a moniker, you do, so that makes Ken much more credible.
Unfortunately, what we have in most of CUSD is CUEA focusing teachers to make maintenance of generous salary and benefit packages the priority. This is why we suffered the turmoil of a strike, the board take over by the union's candidates and subsequent back room payoff to the union of over $30 million. This why our school year has been cut by a month in the past couple of years. And why it will inevitably be cut again next year. OPA is a notable exception. Parents are enthusiastic, teachers are motivated and students achieve. Congratulations again!
Reporting facts and the news does not make one an advocate, though you obviously believe otherwise. No surprise. You are apparently a tool of the teachers union because the union goes out of its way to control the news and how it and its members are portrayed in the news, just like you're trying to do.
The scores are important in the same vein that CUSD likes to report high and improving test scores. The initial scores are even more important for OPA because it makes any effort to close OPA, e.g. CUSD not renewing its charter after year 3, much harder and difficult.
Here are some other demographics from OPA on parent education graduate / post graduate 165 college 129 some college including AA degree 29 high school 3 not high school degree 1 declined to answer 45 total 372 tested
Former unhappy mom of a child at a high performing Distinguised school and HAPPY mom of Chino OPA! Best decision I made 3 years ago. Thank u Mrs. Roche.