Fewer than half of California鈥檚 public schools met state targets for academic improvement this year, although nearly two-thirds of schools showed some gains.
Those results were a significant decline from last year鈥檚 figures. This year, 48 percent of the state鈥檚 schools met all of their growth targets, which include the performance of minority and low-income subgroups, compared with 78 percent that met growth targets last year.
Sixty-two percent of schools this year showed improvements in at least some categories, compared with 90 percent last year.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O鈥機onnell said that the results, announced Oct. 28, were 鈥渦nacceptable.鈥
鈥淚 know, and educators around the state know, that we can do better,鈥 he said at a news conference held to release the data. 鈥淚t is time to rededicate ourselves and redouble our efforts at teaching California鈥檚 rigorous standards.鈥