The Academic Performance Index (API) report is based on the results of the 1999 Stanford 9 test given last spring. The API measures overall student performance at every school. Every school received a single API number on a scale of 200 to 1,000. The state has set an API score of 800 as the target that schools should strive to meet for the year 2000. Schools that fall short of the target will be required to improve by 5% a year, until the goal is met. In grades 2-8, the API reports performance in four content areas (weighted as shown in parentheses): mathematics (40%), reading (30%), language (15%), and spelling (15%).

The 1999 API is the first step in the development of a comprehensive accountability system for California public schools. The API is a measurement tool to establish our school's current academic performance and to set an annual target for growth. Schools are compared with schools statewide and schools with similar demographics.

You can view specific ratings and information on a school in the Menifee Union School District on the California Department of Education's Web site by clicking here: http://api.cde.ca.gov/