Dear Parents,

Stevenson Elementary School is a place where everyone embraces our motto, “Knowledge is our Treasure!”  We believe that quality education can be achieved through high expectations for student performance and behavior.  The climate for learning that our staff creates at Stevenson results in improved academic achievement f or ALL of our students.

As you may have read in the Burbank Leader, dated September 19, “Students make big API strides”.  API is the Academic Performance Index.  The API is used to measure school performance, set academic growth targets, and monitor progress over time.  The API ranks California schools on a score between 200 to 1,000 points.  The state’s target is 800 for every school.

Stevenson’s API score is 877! We made an increase of 52 points based upon our state testing (STAR) results that all of our second through fifth grade students take each spring.  The following charts show the increased number of advanced/proficient students from 2008 to 2009:

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
2nd		3rd		4th		5th
2008	2009	2008	2009	2008	2009	2008	2009
58	75	53	65	75	82	63	84

MATHEMATICS
2nd		3rd		4th		5th
2008	2009	2008	2009	2008	2009	2008	2009
76	84	74	76	65	76	56	69

Teachers work together to determine areas of specific need, set goals, and share strategies to assist their students in meeting grade level standards.  We focus on what students need each day.  As a result, we’re seeing the “fruits of our labor now.”  In addition, we implement “Power Clinics” to provide intervention for our students who are not meeting grade level standards.

Finally, our belief in strong family/school/community partnerships also supports a high quality education for our students.  Your continued support and involvement creates a climate of learning that enables every child to experience personal success and develop into a lifelong learner.

Sincerely,

Debbie Ginnetti