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Longfellow Middle School students walk the hallways between class periods on their first day of school in 2024. Longfellow scored lower overall in English proficiency compared to other schools in BUSD. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside\/CatchLight<\/p>\n
The number of Berkeley students meeting or exceeding standards in math and English language arts increased for the third consecutive year and continue to outpace state averages, according to new state testing results, but disparities remain among Black and Latino students.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) is an online exam given at the end of each year to public school students in grades 3-8 and 11. Results from the 2024-25 school year<\/a> were released by the California Department of Education on Oct. 9.<\/p>\n The Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) has historically scored higher overall on these tests than students as a whole in Alameda County<\/a> and across the state, and this year\u2019s results continued that trend.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last year,\u00a0 72% of BUSD students met or exceeded English standards (up 5% from 2022) and 66% did so in math. By comparison, 56% of students in all of Alameda County met or exceeded English standards and 48% did so in math. Statewide results were lower, at 49% and 37% for English and math, respectively, according to the CSAAPP results<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is one measure that we use to assess our students\u2019 progress in learning, but it is very important,\u201d Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel said Wednesday during a BUSD school board meeting. \u201cThere is a lot of funding and other important things that are aligned to this particular assessment, and we are excited to share with you where we are and where we\u2019re going.\u201d<\/p>\n BUSD English test scores varied by population, school<\/p>\n About 70% of students across grade levels at BUSD met or exceeded the state proficiency standard in English.<\/p>\n Associate Superintendent Jill Hoogendyk said Wednesday night during a BUSD school board meeting that the district looked at the assessment data with a particular focus on Black students, who make up 11% of the BUSD population, and Latino students who make up about 22%.\u00a0The district noted progress among both groups, who\u2019ve historically tested lower than other students in BUSD.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re definitely proud of the progress that we\u2019ve made, and at the same time, not satisfied, which means we have room to grow,\u201d said Hoogendyk.<\/p>\n Latino students in grades 8 and 11 showed significant improvement in English language arts, with the number meeting or exceeding proficiency increasing by nearly 10% from the previous year.\u00a0<\/p>\n An exception was Latino English language learner (ELL) students, whose overall test scores declined by 5%. Of the 201 ELL students who took the assessment, 104 were Latino, according to a BUSD school board presentation. Other ELL student groups showed improvement. <\/p>\n Among Black students, 4th and 6th-graders saw the most improvement in English, with 35% and 38% meeting or exceeding expectations last year. The number of students in 8th grade with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) who met English standards also increased from 18% to 28%.<\/p>\n See test scores by school<\/a><\/p>\n Sylvia Mendez Elementary and Longfellow Middle schools had some of the lowest English proficiency rates, at about 64% and 61%, respectively. Ruth Acty Elementary scored the highest at 85%.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Math proficiency among Black students in BUSD dipped last year<\/p>\n In math, 70% of BUSD elementary students and 64% of secondary students reached proficiency. The most significant grade-level increases occurred in 4th and 8th grades, each rising by 5%.\u00a0<\/p>\n Among BUSD \u201cfocal groups\u201d \u2014 student populations that have historically experienced opportunity gaps \u2014\u00a0the math results were mixed. The number of Latino and socioeconomically disadvantaged students proficient in math rose by 3%, with English language learners seeing a 5% increase. But math proficiency among Black students dipped last year by 5%.<\/p>\n Students with IEP\u2019s experienced a \u201cmodest\u201d overall decline of 1% in math proficiency, though the number of 6th-grade students in that group meeting proficiency rose from 22% to 30%. <\/p>\n At individual sites, Sylvia Mendez Elementary and Berkeley High had the lowest math scores last year, at about 55% and 57%, respectively. Berkeley High slightly improved, while the elementary school scores declined by about 10% compared to last year, according to public data compiled by EdSource<\/a>. Ruth Acty and Rosa Parks elementary schools had the highest overall math scores.\u00a0<\/p>\n