(Definitions extracted from: http://www.cde.ca.gov/psaa/api/api0203/growth/astpk03g.pdf)

What is API? (Academic Performance Index)

The 2003 API Growth is a numeric index (or score) between 200 and 1000 that

reflects a school’s performance on the following student assessments that were part of

California’s 2003 statewide test administration:

• Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program:

– Norm-referenced test (NRT)—all content areas tested

[in 2003, California Achievement Test, 6th Edition Survey (CAT/6);

in 2002, Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition (Stanford 9)]

– California English-Language Arts Standards Test (CST ELA), including the writing assessment at grades four and seven

– California Mathematics Standards Test (CST Math)

– California History-Social Science Standards Test (CST SS)—grades ten and

eleven only

• California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE)—grades ten and eleven only

 What is AYP? (Adequate Yearly Progress)

For 2003, California’s new definition of AYP encompasses the following four requirements:

• Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs)

Achievement of the 2003 statewide AMOs on English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics assessments (schoolwide/districtwide and subgroups). AMOs are the minimum required percentages of students at proficient or above in each content area.

– Elementary schools, middle schools, and elementary school districts must have at least 13.6 percent of students at proficient or above in ELA and 16.0 percent in mathematics.

– High schools and high school districts (with grade levels nine through eleven only) must have at least 11.2 percent of students at proficient or above in ELA and 9.6 percent in mathematics.

– Unified school districts and high school districts (with grade levels two through eight and nine through eleven) must have at least 12.0 percent of students at proficient or above in ELA and 12.8 percent in mathematics.

The 2003 ELA and mathematics assessments used for the AMOs are the California Standards Tests (CSTs), in grades two through eight; the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA), in grades two through eight and ten; and the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE), in grade ten. The CSTs and the CAPA are part of the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR)program. The use of the CAHSEE for the AMOs is for school, school district, and state accountability as part of NCLB requirements only; it does not apply to passing the CAHSEE as a condition of graduation for individual students.

• Participation Rate – Achievement of a 95 percent student participation rate on 2003 ELA and mathematics assessments (schoolwide/districtwide and subgroups).

• API – Growth in the 2002–03 Academic Performance Index (API) score of at least one point or a minimum 2003 Growth API of 560 (schoolwide/districtwide).

• Graduation Rate – Improvement in the graduation rate of at least .1 percent or a graduation rate of 100 percent (schoolwide/districtwide). This applies only to high schools and school districts with high school students.