California recently released 2018-19 SBAC scores, and the school again excelled in statewide comparison. The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, which creates the Common Core-aligned test, measures juniors’ proficiency in math and English. 

According to CAASPP, 75 percent of SHS juniors exceeded ELA standards, whereas 22 percent of juniors statewide did so. In addition, 74 percent of SHS juniors exceeded math standards, compared to 20 percent of California students. 

These scores are the highest the school has seen since students began taking the SBAC in 2015. In previous years, 68 percent of SHS students exceeded standards in math and 70 percent in ELA. 

Saratoga ranked 10th among public high schools on average across the state, falling slightly below Mission San Jose (sixth) and Lynbrook (seventh). However, it also ranked higher than Monta Vista (14th) and far above Los Gatos, which ranked in the top 200. 

Though the SBAC doesn’t affect students’ grades or college admissions in any way, the California Department of Education (CDE) encourages teachers to use it to assess how well their teaching methods are working. Based on their students’ results, teachers often adjust their methods accordingly for future years. 

In addition, SBAC scores are partially used to determine a school’s ranking. Until 2017, only SBAC scores were used to determine a school’s Academic Performance Index, the metric used to rank schools. The CDE is now designing a newer measurement system to replace API that includes graduation rates, AP performance and SBAC scores.