This was the first year that the schools had to show high gains on the Stanford 9, the state's standardized test of basic skills. Schools must have improved by at least 5 percent on the Academic Performance Index, which rates the schools based on how they scored on the test. Those gains had to be made by each major ethnic group in the school. Schools were also judged in other areas. For example, judges complimented Madison Middle School in Oceanside for its family atmosphere and caring staff.
Teachers maintain contact through phone calls, conferences and E-mails.
When they know the teachers are going to call home, the kids behave. She said her teachers place an emphasis on community and government awareness. One group of students volunteers at a soup kitchen on Thursday nights. Another group wrote a grant to have a stoplight installed in front of the school. The state visited campuses and conducted surveys to rate schools based on student achievement, community support and classroom learning.