The district’s updated Academic Performance Index (API) score released on Aug. 31 revealed that Saratoga was awarded a total of 933 points and Los Gatos, 883, marking a two- and 10-point improvement to each school’s score in the previous year.

Overall, the district’s score was 904 points, 191 points above the average score of 742 of all other California high schools and a six-point increase from last year’s score. Latino students in the district boosted their score by 53 points to 848 points as did students with disabilities, who raised their score by 19 points from 658 points to 677 points.

“Our special education group was particularly impressive,” assistant principal Kevin Mount said.
“Typically the state target is around 5 points per year, so for our special education group to go up 19 points is really excellent.”

Ever since the Public Schools Accountability Act began being enforced in 1999, California has been using the API in order to track the academic progress of schools within the state. Each score is calculated by comparing a student’s academic achievements in various subjects to the API scale.

In addition to scoring the API of all students in each school, the system also calculates API scores for different subgroups such as ethnicity, students with disabilities, English Learner Status and the socioeconomically disadvantaged.

“We benefit from a number of factors here at Saratoga High School,” assistant principal Brian Safine said. “If you add in all the parental expectation, student drive, dedicated staff, it’s no surprise that we continue to do real well. It’s gratifying to know that the students in the classroom take tests seriously.”