(August 15, 2006) -- The CA Dept. of Education on Aug. 15 released the results of the 2006 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program.

LBReport.com posts a link giving readers access to data for each LBUSD school (as well as schools statewide). For LBUSD schools, click the following link and use the pull-down arrows (small arrows next to blank space) to select "Los Angeles" for County, "LBUSD" for district...and select the specific school on this link: 2006 STAR test results access.

(For data on LBUSD schools overall, leave the specific school name blank).

A quick, unscientific perusal of LBUSD data indicates results vary widely by grade (with lower grades tending to do better) and school. The CA Dept. of Education acknowledged in a release that statewide an "achievement gap persists between African American students, Latino students, or socio-economically disadvantaged students and their white or Asian peers."

"I remain deeply concerned that the achievement gap continues to be unacceptably wide," said CA Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell said. "The academic achievement of our Latino, African American, and socio-economically disadvantaged students lags far behind the rest of their peers. We are working to address this problem by providing struggling schools extra resources and additional interventions, and with better training for teachers. But clearly, we must work harder, faster, and with more focus to narrow this gap and to permanently close it."

STAR results are ranked as "advanced," "proficient," "basic," "below basic" and "far below basic"...and the State Board of Education considers "proficient" its "goal" for students, consistent with school growth targets for state accountability and federal No Child Left Behind requirements.

For background information about the STAR testing program, click Background info on STAR progam.