The Vista Unified School District saw continued improvement in test scores on the 2012 California Standards Tests. English and math proficiency rates increased over 21% and 16% respectively over the past 9 years. This represents over 1600 more students scoring proficient in English and over 1000 more in math compared to 2003 levels. Vista students outperformed the state averages on the 2012 tests, scoring 2% higher in English and 13% higher in math. The district attributes these gains to the work of teachers but aims to further increase achievement and close performance gaps.

1. Press Release
Vista Unified School District
Superintendent Devin Vodicka
For Immediate Release
7 September 2012
2012 California Standards Test (CST) Achievement Results Continue to Rise in Vista
The 2012 California Department of Education Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR)
results have been recently released by the California Department of Education. These results
provide one measure of student achievement in English language arts, mathematics, and other
subjects.
Achievement results on the California Standards Test (CST) for Vista Unified indicate consistent
improvement in English language arts and mathematics over a nine-year period (2003 to 2012).
The slope of student achievement has steadily increased for Vista students despite the significant
financial setbacks brought on by the state fiscal crisis over the past six years.
In just under one decade, Vista Unified students in grades two through eleven have increased
proficiency rates by over 21% in English language arts (from 38% to 59%). A similar gain was
made in mathematics in grades two through seven (from 41% to 64%). To put this improvement
into perspective, over 1600 more students scored at or above proficiency in English language arts
in 2012 than in 2003. In mathematics, over 1000 more students scored at or above proficiency in
2012 than in 2003. This improvement is even more impressive considering that the district
enrollment has declined by over 3000 students from 2003 to 2012.
“It is a testament to the teachers in Vista Unified that so many students have moved into
proficiency over the past nine years,” Jeanie Luckey (Deputy Superintendent) said. “We are not
satisfied with the current achievement results, however. It is our commitment as a district to
continue to increase student achievement and, in particular, to work as a unified school district to
close the continuing achievement gap.”
Over 16,800 students participated in the CST assessments in 2012 for Vista Unified. Of these
students, over 59% scored at or above proficiency on the English language arts component; more
than a 5% increase from the previous year. On the mathematics component of the CST
assessment, over 64% scored at or above proficiency in 2012; more than a 1% increase from the
previous year. Student achievement in Algebra, (reported separately) is holding steady, with 52%
of students in grades 7, 8, and 9 scoring at or above proficiency.
An important point of comparison is that Vista students outscored the California state average in
English language arts by 2% and mathematics by 13% on the 2012 CST assessments.
For more information about Vista Unified student achievement on the STAR assessments, visit
the California Department of Education STAR webpage.
The California state accountability reports for Academic Performance Index (API) and Adequate
Yearly Progress (AYP) are scheduled to be released the first week in October 2012.