San Bruno Schools Fare Above Average in Latest Standardized Test Scores

The state Department of Education released new figures Monday about statewide standardized test scores that showed students in the continued to maintain above-average results.

The test scores for the school district, which comprises seven elementary schools and , were consistent with scores throughout San Mateo County, where students continue to improve and perform above the state average.

STAR results monitor scores from second to 11th grades, and close to 63 percent of students in the county scored proficient or advanced in English. Nearly 58 percent of students were proficient in algebra and other math related subjects.

Compare that to the state’s average results, which show 54 percent of students scored proficient or better in English and 50 percent of students scored proficient or better in math, the highest scores the state has received since the inception of the STAR program in 2003, according to the education department. 

"This is certainly no small accomplishment, particularly given the ongoing fiscal realities facing schools and districts that have resulted in reductions in staffing and programs," Gary Waddell, deputy superintendent of instructional services for the San Mateo County Office of Education, said in a statement.

Test scores in 2011 remained consistent with numbers in 2010, with 59 percent of San Bruno Park students in the second through eighth grades scoring proficient or advanced in English. According to the state education department, students in the second through seventh grades saw significant improvements in Standardized Testing and Reporting math scores as well, with 66 percent of students scoring proficient or advanced.

Leading the way for San Bruno Park schools were ,  and , each of which scored proficient or advanced in every subject for each grade level. 

"I think the recent scores say a lot about the level of positive relationships that exist between the students of our district, the families of our district, and the professional staff of our district in terms of working for a common cause, and that's increased levels of student achievement in all subjects," said San Bruno Park schools Superintendent Dr. David Hutt. "I'm expecting to see that all of our schools will increase in their API scores when those are calculated."

Although the district received high marks in most areas, schools just missed scoring above basic level in eighth-grade history, eighth-grade math and third-grade English.

Capuchino High Also Improves in English, Math Scores

has once again seen a steady increase in test scores, showing significant improvements in English and math scores.

Ninth grade students scored higher in English, with 63 percent of students scoring proficient or advanced. And despite nearly 50 fewer students taking Algebra I, ninth graders' scores improved by 26 percentage points.

Students also improved their scores in Algebra II, particularly sophomores. Tenth graders at Cap improved their Algebra II scores, with 79 percent of the students scoring proficient or better.

However, Cap students struggled to reach that plateau in English, math, history and science, despite improving their scores from the last school year.

Eleventh grade Biology, 10th grade World History and Algebra II, and ninth grade English and Geometry are the only areas where students scored proficient or better at the school. In fact, 46 percent of 10th grade students scored "far below basic" in Algebra I and none scored at an advanced level.

Graduation Rate for Cap Takes Small Step Back

The education department also recently released new figures about high school graduation and dropout rates throughout the state.

For Cap, its graduation rate has now dipped to 87 percent compared with an impressive 92 percent in 2009, according to the recent figures.

Still, Capuchino's graduation rate is slightly above the county average of 86 percent and the state average of 80 percent.

However, other than , the continuation school, Capuchino is the only school in the San Mateo Union High School District that currently graduates fewer than 90 percent of its students. The schools with lower graduation rates are Hillsdale and San Mateo High, both of which graduate slightly more than 90 percent of their students. Mills High ranks at the top, graduating nearly 98 percent of its students.

Also according to recent statistics, Cap remains close to a 13 percent dropout rate, the highest in the district besides Peninsula. The average dropout rate for San Mateo Union High School District is 11 percent.