What is the American school evaluation system API?

The number of people studying in the United States is constantly increasing. So what is the API of the American school evaluation system? Come and take a look! Welcome to read.

American School Evaluation System API

Good education determines a child’s life. Many new immigrants coming to the United States are faced with the confusion of how to choose a school for their children. In the United States, there are usually four standards for evaluating a good high school: API, Great Schools Ratings, National Blue Ribbon School and US News Gold Medal High School. This article will give you an in-depth understanding of California's public school evaluation system - API, and the difference between API and Great Schools Ratings.

The Academic Performance Review Index (API) is a comprehensive evaluation system for the academic achievement and overall development of middle school students in a school in California.

API indicators are divided into two categories: basic indicators and growth indicators. The calculation of basic indicators is based on the standardized test scores of middle school students in schools, which are converted into a score between 200-1000. The "goal line" for all schools in California is 800 points, with higher scores indicating better academic performance at the school. The calculation of growth indicators is based on the change trend of basic indicators compared with the same period in previous years, which can reflect the changes in the school's academic performance over a period of time.

10 things parents should know about API

1. API is not a test

API is not a simple test result for schools; It is a complete and complex comprehensive evaluation system. At the beginning of each school year, the government will set the "standard line" and annual growth target for school performance for that year based on the basic indicators of the school API. The growth indicators calculated based on this will be announced at the end of the summer school year. The standardized tests on which the basic indicators are based include: CST (California Standards Test), CMA (Academic Progress Assessment), CAPA (optional academic performance assessment) and CAHSEE (high school exit exam).

2.API measures the academic performance and development of a school

API indicators can not only reflect the academic performance of students in the school that year, but also see growth indicators. Show development trends compared with last year. When parents query the school API, they should pay attention to two points: first, the gap between the basic indicators and the target score of 800 points, and second, the growth indicator value.

3. API is an evaluation criterion that schools attach great importance to.

Since the government and the media publish the API indicators of all schools every year, California schools attach great importance to improving their API scores. This approach is conducive to the school's continuous improvement of curriculum construction, but parents are also worried that such blind pursuit of results will reduce students' extracurricular activities at school.

4. API only measures academic performance, not all standards.

API is a hot topic among parents when choosing schools for their children every year. However, you should avoid choosing a school based solely on API indicators. To comprehensively consider a school, in addition to API, parents should also find out whether the school's teachers are experienced, whether they have close contact with parents, and whether they can provide a wealth of extracurricular activities.

5.API measures include the academic performance of students from various groups

API is an indicator that comprehensively measures the academic performance of a school, and its data sources include students from different ethnic groups and different social groups. student. API can reflect how a school treats students from special groups, such as minorities, economically disadvantaged students, students who are not native speakers of English, and people with disabilities. 6. API has not been improved, and the school should get help

If a school does not meet the API target set at the beginning of the year, or unfortunately becomes one of the schools with the lowest API basic indicators. The government will allocate funds or allocate resources to support this.

If the bad situation continues, the school will be severely punished and face sanctions such as replacement of the principal, institutional restructuring, and even forced closure.

7. API can only reflect the overall standards of a school or school district.

There are no API indicators for individual student evaluations. API is based on the overall CST/CMA/CAPA/CAHSEE and other standardized test scores of students in the school or district.

8. API assessment methods have undergone changes

In the early days of API’s establishment, API indicators were calculated based on students’ Stanford 9 tests and CAT/6 scores. These tests focus on comparing the academic performance of California students with those of students from other states. After changes, API data now comes from standard exams such as CST/CMA/CAPA/CAHSEE. The assessment focuses on what students actually learned in class.

9. The API measurement method is complex

API is a complex evaluation system. If the previous introduction confuses you, just keep in mind the following points: API scores range from 200 to 1,000; the target score for all schools is 800; API is based on students' test scores; API measurement methods help schools focus on improving the performance of lower-performing students.

10.API and "Great Schools Ratings" are different evaluation systems

API is an evaluation system established by the California Department of Education, and "Great Schools Ratings" Rated by the independent agency Great Schools. API data comes from the four test scores of CST/CMA/CAPA/CAHSEE, while Great Schools Ratings is only based on students' CST test scores and only measures the results of outstanding students. API focuses on setting standards to improve the overall academic performance of schools, while Great Schools focuses on comparing outstanding high schools in different states.