But at my friend's school across town, students reached only the 25th percentile. A Results can vary for a variety of reasons. Family income and teacher quality are two of the strongest predictors of test scores. Other factors that can affect student test performance include the physical environment used for testing, the attitudes of teachers and students toward the testing program, the students' test-taking skills, alignment of the curriculum with the test content and the quality of the instructional program. A That will vary from school to school.
Most schools use a variety of tools to evaluate a student's progress.
Homework assignments and other forms of testing used throughout the year are typically considered. I've heard these scores will be used to rate schools and teachers. Later this summer, the state Department of Education will take two years of scores and decide which schools should participate in the state's new Immediate Intervention and Underperforming Schools Program. Those schools will receive extra state funding and be asked to develop school improvement plans. Next year, the state will use test scores to rank all California schools.