New Haven Unified School District, which includes schools in Union City and part of south Hayward, has shared test data showing student progress. More New Haven students are ranked as ‘advanced’ and fewer are ranked as ‘far below basic’ according to results of standardized tests taken during the 2010-11 school year.

According to STAR (Standardized Testing and Results) information released by the California Department of Education, 25.1 percent of New Haven students scored “advanced” in English/language arts, up from 22.3 percent in 2008-09. Over the same three-year period, the percentage of students scoring “far below basic” has decreased from 7.2 to 6.3 percent.

“Our students, their parents and our teachers and support staff deserve a tremendous amount of credit for their hard work and perseverance,” said Superintendent Kari McVeigh.

At Emanuele Elementary School in Union City, 23.1 percent of students scored “advanced” in English/language arts, up from 15.5 percent in 2008-09. Meanwhile, the percentage of students scoring “far below basic” has dropped from 11.4 to 7.8 percent.      

At Alvarado Elementary School, 26.9 percent of students scored “advanced,” up from 18.6 percent in 2008-09. At James Logan High School, meanwhile, the percentage of students scoring “far below basic” dropped from 11.7 to 9.6 percent.  

District-wide, the percentage of students scoring at or above standards in English/language arts on the California Standards Test – the predominant part of the STAR program – increased to 55 percent, up from 54 percent in 2009-10.

“Year after year, our concentrated focus on literacy is resulting in steady improvement,” Superintendent McVeigh said. “It’s incremental, but it’s consistent, which I think is indicative of the fact we’re doing the right work.”

In ninth grade, 60 percent of students scored at or above standards in English/language arts on the CST, up from 54 percent last year.

Approximately 9,900 New Haven students took the STAR tests during April and May of 2011. Most students took the California Standards Tests (CSTs), which measure progress based on state curriculum content standards that are among the highest in the United States.