Academic Performance Index (API)

District-wide API    Cloverland    Fair Oaks    Magnolia    Sierra View    Oakdale Junior High    Oakdale High

807   839 844 841 868 785 798

District-wide highest in Stanislaus County

California Department of Education

The API is a single number, ranging from a low of 200 to a high of 1000, which reflects a school’s, an LEA’s, or a student group’s performance level, based on the results of statewide assessments. Its purpose is to measure the academic performance and improvement of schools. The state has set 800 as the API target for all schools to meet. Schools that fall short of 800 are required to meet annual growth targets until that goal is achieved. API targets vary for each school and student group. The API is calculated by converting a student’s performance on statewide assessments across multiple content areas into points on the API scale. These points are then averaged across all students and all tests. The result is the API. An API is calculated for schools, LEAs, and for each student group with 11 or more valid scores at a school or an LEA.

The key features of the API include the following:

• The API is based on an improvement model. The assessment results from one year are compared to assessment results from the prior year to measure improvement. Each school has an annual target, and all numerically significant student groups at a school also have targets.
• The API requires student group accountability to address the achievement gaps that exist between traditionally higher- and lower-scoring student groups.
• The API is a cross-sectional look at student achievement. It does not track individual student progress across years but rather compares snapshots of school or LEA achievement results from one year to the next.
• The API is used to rank schools. A school is compared to other schools statewide and to 100 other schools that have similar opportunities and challenges.
• The API is currently a school-based requirement only under state law. However, API reports are provided for LEAs in order to meet federal requirements under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

​Source: California Department of Education
Analysis, Measurement, Accountability Division
Executive Summary Explaining the Academic Performance Index (API) - Page 1