There was nothing shocking about local schools' API scores recently released from the California Department of Education. However, there seemed to be one glaring oversight on the part of the state.

Every school in the foothill area had a full description of its growth from 2006 to 2007, how each of the subgroups fared on the test and if the school had fallen into program improvement status. That is, every school except Steve Garvey Junior High School in Lindsay which read the following:

“This school has certified to the California Department of Education that during the 2007 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) testing an adult irregularity in testing procedure occurred at the school affecting 5 percent or more of pupils tested. Therefore, this school does not have a valid API for 2007.”

Lindsay Unified School District Superintendent Janet Kliegl said the “adult irregularity” was caused when a small group of students needed more time and were told to come back the following morning to finish the test. According to state regulations, standardized tests must be completed in one day. Students are allowed to request more time if they do not complete the test in the set time period, but must do so before the end of the same day.

“There are a whole list of rules in administering these tests and on this one occasion we missed one,” said Kliegl.

LUSD reported the oversight to the state following the round of testing.

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