schools rank among top 40 percent

More than half of Humboldt County's schools ranked among the top 40 percent of schools in California, according to scores released by the state Department of Education on Thursday.

The top scoring schools in the county, ranking in the top 10 percent according to the state's Academic Performance Index, include Union Street Charter School in Arcata, Academy of the Redwoods on the College of the Redwoods campus, Garfield Elementary School on Freshwater Road and Northcoast Preparatory and Performing Arts Academy in Arcata.

The rankings released Thursday are based on test scores from the California standardized test, also known as the STAR test, and the California high school exit exam. The actual API scores were released in September, according to the Department of Education. API scores for the 2010-11 school year, showing whether a school's score increased, will be released this fall. The current ranking doesn't include the API scores for alternative schools.

In addition to the four schools that scored in the top 10 percent, the county had a total of 33 that scored in the top 40 percent of schools in the state. Cheryl Ingham, school support coordinator for the Humboldt County Office of Education, who provides standardized testing advice for school districts, noted that with a large number of schools in the top 40 percent, Humboldt County has done well.

Posted in: California,Cheryl Ingham,Humboldt County's,Union School District