FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Fresno County’s Kings Canyon Unified School District is a success story in student learning.
California tested more than three million students in English Language Arts/Literacy and mathematics literacy, asking them to write clearly, think critically, and solve complex problems.
State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson (below) announced the 2018 scores for the computer-based tests.
Statewide, in all tested grades, 49.88 percent of students met or exceeded the English Language Arts/Literacy standards, a 1.32 percentage point increase from 2017 and a 5.88 percentage point increase from 2015.
In mathematics, 38.65 percent of students met or exceeded standards, a 1.09 percentage point increase from 2017 and a 5.65 percentage point increase from 2015.
Students in grades 3 and 4 made the biggest gains, which bodes well for the future as California continues its multi-year transition to more difficult learning standards, said State Board of Education President Michael W. Kirst. “That our younger learners who have experienced standard-aligned instruction since kindergarten are improving faster is encouraging,” Kirst said.
Kings Canyon Unified School District was highlighted by the State as one of three schools listed as a success story in the CDE press release because of significant growth in test scores over the past three years. The three districts that were highlighted, were chosen from 1,026 districts across the State. The other two districts were Brawley Union High School District in Imperial County and San Diego Unified School District.
“It really touches on a lot of different sectors throughout the district, and really affirms for us that the work that we’re doing – is working,” said KCUSD Communications Officer Renee Delport. “It’s helping to educate our students and help them meet their potential.”
Collectively, 49.46% of KCUSD students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 met or exceeded the state-wide standards in ELA and 36.01% met or exceeded the standard in math. Scores also showed a notable increase in year-over-year ELA and math test scores. ELA scores increased 2.07% compared to 2017 scores and 12.48% compared to 2015 scores. Math scores increased 3.43% compared to 2017 and showed a 15.01% increase compared to 2015 scores.
As a result of continued growth in ELA and math, KCUSD was featured as one of three “Success Stories” in the CDE press release regarding State test scores. The three districts that were highlighted, were chosen from 1,026 districts across the State. The other two districts were Brawley Union High School District in Imperial County and San Diego Unified School District.
“The State test scores provide affirmation of our District’s collective and continued dedication to student success. These results are reflective of the work being done every day by our students, staff and community. With our focus on growth, we are thankful to our many partners and surrounding districts for their collaboration in helping our students’ reach their fullest potential. We are humbled and honored that the State recognized Kings Canyon Unified School District as a ‘Success Story’ in their press release,” said KCUSD Superintendent John Campbell.
Click to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
