API ups and downs

I am busily playing with the new API data. More updated to follow. Soon I hope.

Everyone loves "top ten" lists, so here is are the top API declines and gains between 2005 and 2006. Take these lists with a large grain of salt. API scores from different years are not truly comparable since they are normalized according to different criteria. Yet, it is hard to resist. So indulge me:

The largest API declines:

School	API06	API05	Delta
Abraham Lincoln High	728	772	-44
Cleveland Elementary	658	703	-45
George Washington High	732	781	-49
Life Learning Academy Charter	502	553	-51
John Swett Elementary	550	616	-66
Cross Cultural Enviromental Leadership	593	671	-78
John A. O'Connell High	553	631	-78

The top dozen API gains:

School	API06	API05	Delta
KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy	836	698	138
Bret Harte Elementary	730	648	82
Chinese Education Center	600	523	77
Charles R. Drew Elementary	688	614	74
Twenty-First Century Academy	590	526	64
Fairmount Elementary	687	626	61
Sheridan Elementary	843	785	58
James Lick Middle	665	611	54
Downtown High (Continuation	412	360	52
Sanchez Elementary	696	648	48
Miraloma Elementary	700	653	47
Mission Education Center	391	346	45

Once again, don't take too much stock in these figures. There are many reasons for API scores to shift that do not reflect on the heaalth of a school.