Students in Los Angeles Unified improved in reading and math on a national assessment of urban districts. Credit: LAUSD, Selma Avenue Elementary School
Three of California’s largest school districts showed gains on a national assessment of urban districts that also singled out Los Angeles and Fresno Unified for special recognition from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
L.A., Fresno and San Diego Unified were among 21 districts across the country that participated in theTrial Urban District Assessment, known as TUDA, which is based on scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a test often referred to as the nation’s report card.
Los Angeles had been steadily but slowly progressing since it joined the voluntary urban district testing program in 2003, but scores rose significantly this year over 2011, when the test was last administered. Only Washington, D.C., showed greater improvement.
Gains beat nation
Across the three districts, students made larger gains than the national average and bested the state in nearly every category.
In a written statement, Secretary Duncan cited Los Angeles and Fresno Unified among three TUDA districts – D.C. Public Schools is the other – “that pressed ahead of ambitious reforms” and “made notable progress since 2011.”
In Los Angeles, fourth and eighth grade students boosted their average reading scores by 4 points each. In math, while eighth graders showed no statistically significant increases, fourth graders gained five points overall in improvements that crossed racial, ethnic and income levels. Hispanic fourth grade students went up by 4 points, while African-American students showed an 8-point jump in two years.
The results caught LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy off guard.
“I don’t normally become extremely pleased, but I am extremely pleased, it’s really quite something,” Deasy said. “I think the reforms that we’re doing in Los Angeles are clearly paying off.”
The district has implemented programs targeted at improving algebra instruction in middle and high schools and providing extra support for African-American, Latino and low-income students. The
