A MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
October 5, 2009
Mt. Diablo Unified School District
State Test Scores Improve The California Department of Education recently released the Academic Performance Index (API) results for the last school year. Mt. Diablo's API increased by 21 points over the prior year, in contrast to 8 points in 2007-08. Sixty-eight percent of district schools met their growth targets as compared to forty-nine percent in 2007-08. At its meeting on September 22, the Board of Education recognized the following schools:
Elementary Schools Bancroft : API above 900; Increase of 15 points
Bel Air: Increase of 27 points
Cambridge: Increase of 28 points
Delta View: API above 800, Increase of 82 points
Eagle Peak: API above 800
El Monte: Increase of 38 points
Fair Oaks: Increase of 31 points
Gregory Gardens: API above 800, Increase of 20 points
Hidden Valley: 8 years of continuous growth, API above 800, Increase of 21 points
Highlands: API above 800
Holbrook: Increase of 13 points
Meadow Homes: Increase of 15 points
Monte Gardens: API above 800, Increase of 27 points
Mt. Diablo: API above 900, Increase of 23 points
Pleasant Hill: API above 900, increase of 39 points
Rio Vista: Increase of 24 points
Sequoia: API above 900
Silverwood: API above 800, Increase of 26 points
Strandwood: API above 900
Sun Terrace: Increase of 54 points
Sunrise: Increase of 166 points, largest in the District
Valhalla: Increase of 17 points
Valle Verde: API above 900
Walnut Acres: Highest API in the District (934), Increase of 10 points
Woodside: API above 800
Wren Avenue: Increase of 15 points
Middle Schools:
Diablo View: API above 800, Increase of 19 points
Foothill: API above 800
Glenbrook: Increase of 23 points
Oak Grove: Largest increase for middle schools - 64 points
Pine Hollow: Increase of 21 points
Pleasant Hill: API above 800, increase of 22 points
Riverview: Increase of 17 points
Sequoia: API above 800, increase of 12 points
Valley View: API above 800, increase of 24 points
High Schools:
Clayton Valley: Increase of 26 points
College Park: Increase of 22 points
Concord: Largest increase among high schools - 37 points
Northgate: API above 800, increase of 20 points
Olympic: Largest increase among continuation schools - 67 points
Summit: Increase of 17 points
Athletics As part of the district's $30 million in budget reductions last year, all school district funding for high school athletics was eliminated. Shortly after this decision, parents, staff, and community members formed the United Mt. Diablo Athletic Foundation to continue competitive sports. On June 16, 2009, the Board of Education approved the Foundation's proposal for funding athletics in Mt. Diablo. Although fundraising is not meeting all targets, any sport that has been started will be able to finish its season because of the progress made in fundraising to date. No sports at a single school will be cancelled. Staff will present a report of the status of fundraising at the October 27, 2009, School Board meeting. The Board will review progress on funding athletics at that time. Winter and spring teams do not need to wait to ask for contributions. Contributions made now will help to ensure that these teams can compete. There is a risk that winter or spring sports could be cancelled if fund raising is insufficient.
The next fundraising event is a 5K Run & Walk on October 18th at Newhall Park in Concord. Information on event is at:
http://www.unitedmtdiabloathletics.org. I plan on participating, and I hope you will too.
Dick Nicoll
Interim Superintendent