San Bernardino City Schools See Growth In State Test Scores

SAN BERNARDINO>> Test scores released by the California Department of Education show San Bernardino City Unified School District students are growing academically at a faster rate than their peers in some surrounding school districts. Results for the 2016 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress demonstrate a 6 percent growth in English language arts and 4 percent growth in math scores over the previous year, with 34 percent of District students meeting or exceeding English-language arts standards and 21 percent meeting or exceeding standards in mathematics. While SBCUSD expects to see test scores increase significantly in the coming years, Superintendent Dr. Dale Marsden said he is pleased with this year’s growth. SBCUSD students performed better on the tests than their counterparts in Fontana, Rialto and Moreno Valley school districts. In addition, the SBCUSD test scores in English-language arts or math were higher than similar school districts like Fresno, Santa Ana and Stockton that have comparable student demographics. "The scores are validation that more students are achieving academically amid more rigorous standards, and in turn, more children will graduate from high school prepared for college and the workforce," Marsden said. "This is validation that more of our students will be ready for college or to pursue a well-paying career. Every student in our community deserves that chance and we’re committed to working our hardest to give them those opportunities.” This marks the second year that California students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 have taken the computer-based Smarter Balanced tests aligned with the Common Core standards, the state’s most rigorous assessment system in years. CAASPP test results are available directly from the CDE at caaspp.cde.ca.gov. Parents and guardians across California received their children’s test scores over the summer and are encouraged to visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/sbacparentguides.asp for help understanding the results. Brochures detailing the math and English-language arts standards are also available on the state’s website at http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/ccssresourcesparents.asp.