The Academic Performance Index (API) was a measurement of

academic performance Academic achievement or academic performance is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has attained their short or long-term educational goals. Completion of educational benchmarks such as secondary school diplomas and bachelor's deg ...

and progress of individual schools in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, United States. The API was one of the main components of the

Public Schools Accountability Act The Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA) was passed in California in 1999 as the first step in developing a comprehensive system to hold students, schools, and districts accountable for improving student performance. The system establishes a c ...

passed by the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...

in 1999. It was last updated for the 2012–2013 school year, and on March 15, 2017, the

California State Board of Education The California State Board of Education is the governing and policy-making body of the California Department of Education. The State Board of Education sets K-12 education policy in the areas of standards, instructional materials, assessment, an ...

and the

California Department of Education The California Department of Education is an agency within the government of California that oversees public education. The department oversees funding and testing, and holds local educational agencies accountable for student achievement. Its s ...

launched a new accountability system to replace the Academic Performance Index to better measure California's education goals. The replacement reporting interface is the California School Dashboard.

API scores

Numeric Index

A numeric API score ranged from a low of 200 to a high of 1000. The interim statewide API performance target for all schools was 800. A school's growth was measured by how well it was moving toward or past that goal. An API score was calculated for all students in a school as well as numerous API scores for each subgroup at the school (such as by race, English Learner Status, students with disabilities, and socioeconomically disadvantaged pupils).

Rankings

The API Statewide Rank score ranked a school with all schools in California based on API score, while the API Similar Schools score ranked a school with 100 other schools in the state with similar demographic profiles (including parent education level, poverty level, student mobility, student ethnicity). Each rank ranged from 1 to 10, with a score of 10 meaning that the school's API fell into the top 10%.

Indicator of performance

A school's score or placement on the API was designed to be an indicator of a school's performance level and was calculated annually by the

, primarily based on CST and CAHSEE tests. Due to the API's heavy reliance on

standardized testing A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent or standard manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predetermine ...

(although some factors such as attendance and graduation rates were considered), many criticisms of standardized testing could also be leveled at the reliability and accuracy of API scores as an indicator of a school's level of "academic achievement."

Accountability

The API was closely tied to monetary and incentive awards by setting Annual Percent Growth Targets for each school and whether the school met or exceeded this goal. The

also established The Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program and the Governor's High Achieving/Improving Schools Program. In addition, the API was used to determine Adequate Yearly Progress as a part of the

No Child Left Behind The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) was a 2002 United States Act of Congress promoted by the presidential administration of George W. Bush. It reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and included Title I provision ...

Act.

References

External links

{{Portal, California, Schools
Academic Performance Index (API)Understanding the APIPublic Schools Accountability Act (PSAA)Google - public data
Education Statistics of California: Academic Performance Index (API) Standardized tests in California Public education in California