Alum Rock Union Elementary School District Leads Dramatic Turnaround in Student Performance

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Alum Rock Union Elementary School District (ARUESD), the East San Jose district that just three years ago was sanctioned by the CA State Board of Education due to lagging student performance, has since transformed its reputation by focusing resources on improving student achievement and proficiency for all students.

The CA State Board of Education's recently released report documents ARUESD's continued progress, most aptly demonstrated in the district's ranking against all other districts placed into DAIT (Program Improvement Year 3) – Cohort 2. Whereas in 2008 ARUESD stood near the bottom of the rankings at 41^st out of a total of 50 school districts, the district catapulted to 4^th in just three years, the second largest increase of any district in the state.

"The CA Department of Education's report only stands to confirm the progress we have seen throughout the district over the last three years," said Alum Rock Union Elementary School District Superintendent, Jose L. Manzo . "Our Board, administration and our dedicated staff have unified behind a single mission: to improve our academic performance and student proficiency with the goal of becoming a model for similarly positioned school districts throughout the country. I am proud to see the phenomenal results of our commitment, yet more work lies ahead to prepare our students for the challenges of the 21^st century global economy."

Local leaders praised the district for its hard work and cited the CA Department of Education's report as just another testament to the district's focus on improving overall student performance.

"Alum Rock has been on the forefront in California in demonstrating that once underperforming districts can transform themselves and be a vehicle towards a broader transformation of whole communities," said California State Assemblymember Nora Campos (D-San Jose). "Where others saw failure, Alum Rock saw opportunity. Their continued efforts to reshape the district will result in greater future opportunities for the children of our community."

Among the key findings that supported the CA Department of Education's new rankings were double-digit increases to ARUESD's Annual Yearly Progress in both Reading/Language Arts and mathematics, as well as the district's 57-point improvement in API between 2008 and 2011. The district also showed impressive gains in each of the student subgroups identified, key indications of the district's progress in closing academic achievement gaps.

About Alum Rock Union Elementary School District: The Alum Rock Union Elementary School District operates twenty elementary schools and six middle schools, totaling a student population of 12,500. Serving the ethnically and economically diverse community of East San Jose, Alum Rock is a family-oriented district deeply committed to meeting the many needs of its students and families.

Over the past four years, Alum Rock Union Elementary School District has earned a reputation for innovation and investment, both in its infrastructure and student and teacher resources. As a result, the district has transformed numerous once poorly performing schools into models of student achievement and learning. The success of this effort is exhibited in the districts rapidly improving API scores, which increased 24 points in the last school year alone, and its ability to narrow the achievement gap in a district where 78 percent of students are Latino. For more information: www.arusd.org

Media Contact: Rolando Bonilla Alum Rock Union Elementary School District, 415-987-8025, rolando@fordandbonilla.com

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SOURCE Alum Rock Union Elementary School District

RELATED LINKS
http://www.arusd.org