For Progress to Educational Excellence

First award to recognize Hubbard School 
in Alum Rock District

San Jose, CA ----  The first “Mayor’s Progress to Excellence” award that recognizes outstanding achievements by local public schools was presented to Hubbard Elementary School in the Alum Rock School District by San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales today.

Mayor Gonzales established the new annual “Progress to Excellence” award this year to recognize the five San Jose public schools that showed the biggest combined increase in their Academic Performance Index scores over the last two years.

“We are celebrating significant progress by San Jose schools that results in more success by our children,” said Gonzales. “This award will give well-earned attention to the teachers, administrators and parents who work so hard to improve our schools and to help our children learn.”

The API was mandated by the 1999 California Public Schools Accountability Act to measure progress on education reform efforts. The API measures school academic performance with possible scores between 200 and 1000, currently based on the Stanford 9, a nationally-normed standardized achievement test administered annually to California students in grades 2 through 11. Ultimately the API will include a variety of indicators such as standardized test scores, high school exit exam scores, dropout and graduation rates, and student attendance data.

“We created this new award for successful San Jose public schools that show the biggest improvements in student achievement each year,” said the mayor.  “These schools are models that show how school communities can work together to achieve excellence in education for San Jose students.”

Hubbard School was the first school to receive the Mayor’s award, and one of two schools in the Alum Rock School District to be in the top five for progress this year.  Since the state’s current accountability system started three years ago, Hubbard has posted a combined gain in its API score of 132 points. 

Over the next three months Mayor Gonzales will present the award to the other four schools that showed the highest API point gains.