Teacher Ann Sawyer retired last year after 35 years in the classroom and returned in the fall to run the technology lab, partly because she felt overwhelmed by the state's new standards and demands. Compared with other schools, Laguna Road has little to fret about when it comes to test scores. The National Blue Ribbon award- winning school has some of the highest test scores in the state, a 905 out of a possible 1,000 on the Academic Performance Index. But the district is approaching the test with caution. They were shaken by cheating allegations at Commonwealth Elementary School last year - one of several cases statewide.
Officials point out that even top-scoring schools feel pressure.
People use the test scores to decide where to buy homes, and Laguna Road has about 100 people on the waiting list to get in. I don't think we should be afraid of taking a look at what we're doing and trying to become better.