STAR Results Make Walnut Creek Students Stars

Update, Sept. 1, added results for four more schools.

Students in Walnut Creek were running 20 points and more ahead of state averages in a wide variety of subjects quantified in STAR test results the state made public Friday.

Overall, California students saw their results increase for the ninth straight year, according to the state's news release. An estimated 4.7 million students participated in the 2012 STAR program. STAR is Standardized Testing and Reporting.

California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said it was remarkable that students continue to make gains even as schools and their staff make do with deep budget cuts of recent years.

Statewide, 57 percent of students scored proficient or above in English Language Arts and 51 percent in math.

At Bancroft Elementary in the Mount Diablo Unified School District:

• 78 percent of the second-graders scored proficient and above in English Language Arts, and 81 percent in math.
• 68 percent of the third-graders scored proficient and above in ELA, and 87 percent in math.
• 89 percent of fourth-graders scored proficient and above in ELA, and 95 percent in math.
• 76 percent of fifth-graders scored proficient and above in ELA, and 75 percent in math.

See the full Bancroft Elementary results here.

At Valle Verde Elementary in MSUSD:

• 86 percent of the second-graders scored proficient and above in ELA, and 86 percent in math.
• 86 percent of the third-graders scored proficient and above in ELA, and 96 percent in math.
• 95 percent of fourth-graders scored proficient and above in ELA, and 92 percent in math.
• 87 percent of fifth-graders scored proficient and above in ELA, and 87 percent in math.

See the full Valle Verde results here.

At Walnut Acres Elementary in MDUSD,

• 87 percent of second-graders scored proficient and above in ELA, and 84 percent in math.
• 73 percent of third-graders scored proficient and above in ELA, and 93 percent in math.
• 94 percent of fourth-graders scored proficient and above in ELA, and 96 percent in math.
• 87 percent of fifth-graders scored proficient and above in ELA, and 85 percent in math.

See the full Walnut Acres results here.

At Foothill Middle School in the MDUSD,

• 84 percent of sixth-graders scored proficient and above in ELA, and 79 percent in math.
• 80 percent of seventh-graders scored proficient and above in ELA, and 79 percent in math.

See complete Foothill Middle School results here.

In the Walnut Creek School District, here are individual grade averages:

• Second-graders: 76 percent were proficient and above in ELA and 82 percent in math.
• Third-graders: 73 percent were proficient and above in ELA and 86 percent in math.
• Fourth-graders: 90 percent were proficient and above in ELA and 88 percent in math.
• Fifth-graders: 88 percent were proficient and above in ELA and 87 percent in math.
• Sixth-graders: 85 percent were proficient and above in ELA and 75 percent in math.
• Seventh-graders: 87 percent were proficient and above in ELA and 77 percent in math.

Walnut Creek School District breakdowns by grade of those tests plus science in grades 5, 8 and 10, eighth-grade history and eighth-grade Algebra I are here.

At Las Lomas High in the Acalanes Union High School District, the ninth-graders were 87 percent proficient and above in ELA; the 10th-graders were 82 percent; and the 11th graders 76 percent. Las Lomas breakdowns for algebra, geometry, history, life science, biology, chemistry and physics are here.

At Northgate High in the Mount Diablo Unified School District, the ninth-graders were 84 percent proficient and above in ELA; the 10th-graders were 73 percent; and the 11th-graders were 76 percent. Northgate High breakdowns for algebra, geometry, history, life science, biology, chemistry and physics are here.

For Walnut Creek students, compare these numbers to last year's totals in last year's Walnut Creek Patch STAR story.