Uptick in ELA Scores at Local High Schools

Tenth-graders at Las Lomas and Northgate high schools in Walnut Creek were a few ticks ahead of the state average in passing the California High School Exit Examination.

The students at both Walnut Creek public high schools ran a percentage point ahead of the English Language Arts average in 2010-11.

The state, with an average 95 percent pass rate, reported that the 2012 stats made for the sixth straight year of improving performance, according to a state Department of Education news release.

"When 95 percent of California students are hitting the mark—despite the tremendous challenges we face and the work we still have to do—there's an awful lot going right in our public schools," Torlakson said. "I congratulate the students who succeeded on this test, the teachers who provided invaluable instruction, and the parents who gave their support and encouragement."

At Las Lomas High, 375 10th-graders took the math exam and 357 passed, a 95 percent rate; this compares to a 97 percent pass average for the high schools in the Acalanes Union High School District. For the English Language Arts exam, 374 took the exam and 355 passed, a 95 percent rate. This was an increase of 1 percentage point for the Las Lomas ELA rate over 2010-11. For this year, the Las Lomas rate compares to a 98 percent pass average in the whole Acalanes district.

Go to this link for the State Education Department breakdown of Las Lomas numbers — there are further breakdowns for test results by subgroups: special ed, English learner, Reclassified Fluent English Proficient students and economically disadvantaged students.

At Northgate High, 383 10th-graders took the math exam and 370 passed, a 97 percent rate. This compares to an average pass rate of 84 percent for the Mount Diablo Unified School District. For the ELA test, 383 took the test and 370 passed, a 97 percent rate — a 1 percent increase over 2010-11. For this year, the Northgate ELA rate compares to an average 84 percent pass rate for all the high schools in the district.

Go to this link for the State Education Department run of Northgate numbers — there are further breakdowns for test results by subgroups: special ed, English learner, Reclassified Fluent English Proficient students and economically disadvantaged students.

Statewide, the pass rate for math was 84 percent. The pass rate for ELA was 83 percent. The statewide numbers are not directly comparable because they include students taking the exam after 10th grade  — for instance a student who didn't pass in 10th grade and took it again in 11th grade.

The state announced a narrowing of the "performance gap" — Among African Americans, 91.9 percent of the Class of 2012 passed the exam, an increase of 2.3 percentage points over the Class of 2011 and 8.2 percentage points over the Class of 2006.