Over the past year, our Oakland WriterCoach Connection site, Media Academy, achieved the highest Academic Performance Index (API) gain of any high school in the district--a giant leap of 79 points that exceeded Media's API growth target by a full 65 points.
We would never try to occupy the spotlight in recognition of achievement like this, when the proper bows should be taken by the hard-working district staff, the Media administrative and teaching staff, and Media students and families. But we are really excited to see Media's API gain, and grateful to Jeannie Johnson, director of College and Career Readiness for the Oakland Unified School District, who commented, "I was thrilled to see Media's improvement this year. Congratulations on your good work!"
The Academic Performance Index (API) is based on test-score performance through a two-year cycle. The base score is for the first year and the growth score is for the second. The scale is 200 to 1,000 and the statewide goal for all schools is 800. Media Academy's base score for 2008 was 521, the growth target was 535 and their growth result was a remarkable 600.
We hope to expand writer coaching at Media Academy this year to include not only the tenth graders but the twelfth-grade students as well, working on their Senior Projects. Media Academy is on a roll, and we're privileged and proud to be part of it!
Robert Menzimer