Newhall School District celebrates its recent test scores ahead of open house.

Elementary school district announces success through Common Core scores for statewide tests

Newhall School District is celebrating another year of high test scores in multiple disciplines, as it prepares for its annual open house to help inform parents about their choices in local education.

The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress is California’s assessment system that has been in place for the last four years, according to district leaders. The rigorous test gauges third- through sixthgrade students’ mastery of mathematics, reading and writing concepts under the Common Core state standards.

For each of the four years of assessment’s administration, Newhall students have exceled in both English language arts and math, Superintendent Jeff Pelzel said. As for Newhall’s performance compared to other schools in the Los Angeles County and around the state, few districts come close.

The most recent state testing results revealed that 69 percent of Newhall’s sixth-graders met or exceeded standards in mathematics, while 77 percent of Newhall’s sixth-graders met or exceeded standards in English-language arts, Pelzel said. Such close results in math and English are rare for any district, especially with results this strong.

“It’s more than obvious that Newhall’s results are a product of our teachers’ willingness to learn and apply research-based strategies and, no less important, the result of their belief that all students can succeed,” Pelzel said. “Led by our teachers and highly involved families, our entire system maintains its focus on what works best for students.”

To learn more about the district’s enrollment options and how they can benefit your child, attend the annual open house for parents 6:30-8 p.m. Jan. 31 at Old Orchard Elementary School.

“We work as one big team, always striving to improve. This is truly the essence of Newhall’s culture of excellence,” Pelzel said. “We’re ready to push those results upward in 2019.”

Testing results revealed that 69% of Newhall’s sixth-graders met or exceeded standards in math, while 77% of Newhall’s sixth-graders met or exceeded standards in English.