Schools that fail to show gains may face sanctions, including being closed. At Santa Margarita, which serves 464 children, teachers fretted over the test. Ewing attributed gains to higher expectations for children and a focus on teaching the state's new rigorous content standards. Oceanside Superintendent Ken Noonan said the gains demonstrate that campuses can break a cycle of low performance. Both are largely low-income schools.
Laurel is jammed with English learners.
Santa Margarita primarily serves children of enlisted military personnel. It's how you teach them.