School Accountability Report Card       Reported for School Year 2002-2003   Published During 2003-2004

Notes regarding the source and currency of data: Data included in this School Accountability Report Card (SARC) are consistent with State Board of Education guidelines, which are available at the California Department of Education Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/sa/datasources.asp. Most data presented in this report were collected from the 2002-03 school year or from the two preceding years (2000-01 and 2001-02). Due to the certification timelines for graduation, dropout, and fiscal information, the data for these sections of the report were collected in 2001-02.

School Information		District Information
School Name	Hillview Middle	District Name	Menlo Park City Elementary
Principal	Michael A. Moore	Superintendent	Kenneth Ranella
Street	1100 Elder Ave.	Street	181 Encinal Ave.
City, State, Zip	Menlo Park, CA    94025-5503	City, State, Zip	Atherton, CA    94027-3102
Phone Number	650-326-4341	Phone Number	650-321-7140
FAX Number	650-325-3861	FAX Number	650-321-7184
Web Site	www.mpcsd.org/hillview	Web Site	www.mpcsd.org
E-mail Address	mmoore@mpcsd.org	E-mail Address	jmitchell@mpcsd.org
CDS Code	41-68965-6044150	SARC Contact	Jo Mitchell

School Description and Mission Statement

Hillview Middle School, with a current enrollment of approximately 630 students, is the single middle school for sixth through eighth grade students in the Menlo Park City School District.  After having been named a California Distinguished School six times, in 1999-2000 Hillview was recognized by the United States Department of Education as one of the nation's Blue Ribbon Schools.  The school staff includes 38 full- or part-time teachers, 2 part-time counselors, 1 librarian, 3 part-time student activities directors, 5 aides, 8 classified staff members, 1 vice principal, and 1 principal. The student body is approximately 80% white and 20% minority, with Asians and Hispanics the largest minority groups. The Hillview community values education very highly, and this is reflected in daily attendance rates, with over 96% of our students present on an average daily basis. The goals of middle-level education in Menlo Park are to maintain a strong educational program and to meet the needs of preadolescent students. The Hillview Mission Statement reads as follows: Hillview Middle School offers a challenging academic program in a safe, caring environment. We encourage students to master basic skills, sample a variety of educational, social, and cultural experiences, and begin assuming more responsibility for their learning and their citizenship. We recognize and address the needs of individual learners, and provide integrated, active, innovative, and exciting learning experiences. Staff, parents, and students work together to create an educational community whose members treat one another with concern and respect. Our goal is to provide students with the skills and opportunities necessary for them to make a direct contribution to their community. Hillview honors educational achievement and excellence at every level.

Opportunities for Parental Involvement

Contact Person Name	Michael Moore	Contact Person Phone Number	650-326-4341
Community support for Hillview is demonstrated in many ways. Back-to-School and Open House evenings routinely draw the parents of almost all of our students. The Hillview PTA, with membership of almost 70% of our families and teachers, raises thousands of dollars for school programs, contributes over a thousand hours of volunteer time, runs an extensive after-school sports program, organizes weekly hot food days for students, sets up frequent parent network meetings, and makes many other contributions. The Hillview Site Council is responsible for writing the School Improvement Plan and manages its annual budget for enhancement of the school site and curriculum. Hillview receives additional program support from the University of San Francisco Psychology Department, the Menlo Park Police, Fire, and Recreation Departments, and from Mid-Peninsula Tennis Patrons. Special mentor relationships between Hillview students and community members are arranged by our counselors.

I. Demographic Information

Student Enrollment, by Grade Level
Data reported are the number of students in each grade level as reported by the California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS).

Grade Level	Enrollment
Grade 6	247
Grade 7	196
Grade 8	209
Total Enrollment	652

Student Enrollment, by Ethnic Group
Data reported are the number and percent of students in each racial/ethnic category as reported by CBEDS.

Racial/Ethnic Category	Number of Students	Percent of Students	Racial/Ethnic Category	Number of Students	Percent of Students
African-American	23	3.5	Hispanic or Latino	48	7.4
American Indian or Alaska Native	0	0.0	Pacific Islander	19	2.9
Asian	43	6.6	White (Not Hispanic)	511	78.4
Filipino	2	0.3	Multiple or No Response	6	0.9

II. School Safety and Climate for Learning

School Safety Plan

Date of Last Review/Update	September 30, Annually	Date Last Discussed with Staff	Ongoing
The Menlo Park City School District incorporates requirements of all legislative mandates into a single Emergency Preparedness plan that is updated annually.   The principal manages the Site Emergency Plan that coordinates concerns of parents, students, and staff for the safety and welfare of all.  The Site Emergency Plan is reviewed and revised annually and appropriate drills and training are provided to help all persons become familiar with their responsibilities.  Emergency preparedness also includes close cooperation and planning with police, fire, civic emergency agencies and school/parent groups.

School Programs and Practices that Promote a Positive Learning Environment

Student involvement in school life is encouraged under the leadership of the Student Activities Directors, the Hillview Student Council, and the school staff, who sponsor a variety of spirit building, incentive, and recognition programs. Recess and lunchtime activities also occupy students. Activities are organized through homerooms, which meet daily, and which compete all year for a special spirit prize. Many students participate on service squads, performing a variety of tasks necessary for the school's smooth functioning. For their efforts, these students receive points toward a "Block H" award, a school letter emblematic of achievement and contributions to Hillview. Block H winners, Honor Roll students, and other award recipients are recognized quarterly.  School talent, music, and drama assemblies serve to showcase students' co-curricular abilities. Record keeping for Block H purposes indicates that all Hillview students participate in student activities. Hillview students are held accountable to a high standard of responsible behavior and, for the most part, meet that standard. The school’s discipline plan is described in the Student Handbook. Consequences for misbehavior include warnings, parent/student conferences, campus cleanup, detentions, Saturday School, and suspension. The average suspension rate for the past three years has been 6.9%.  One student has been formally expelled for serious misbehavior during the past three years. Students are encouraged to discuss their personal concerns with teachers or the counselor. General student concerns, of any sort, may be addressed through the Student Council.

Suspensions and Expulsions
Data reported are the number of suspensions and expulsions (i.e., the total number of incidents that result in a suspension or expulsion). The rate of suspensions and expulsions is the total number of incidents divided by the school's total enrollment as reported by CBEDS for the given year. In unified school districts, a comparison between a particular type of school (elementary, middle, high) and the district average may be misleading. Schools have the option of comparing their data with the district-wide average for the same type of school.

	School			District
	2001	2002	2003	2001	2002	2003
Number of Suspensions	28	39	64	28	39	64
Rate of Suspensions	.047	.063	.098	.047	.063	.098
Number of Expulsions	1	0	1	1	0	1
Rate of Expulsions	.002	0	.0015	.002	0	.0015

School Facilities

The Hillview campus last year completed a three year renovation project with funding from a bond measure passed in 1995.  The campus now includes: •    A new library/media center •    A new, larger multipurpose building •    New drama/music facilities •    New and renovated science labs •    A new computer lab •    A new industrial technology room •    Renovated administrative offices •    Renovation of all classrooms The district is preparing a plan to replace the eleven portable classrooms remaining on campus with new classrooms.   All classrooms are wired for Internet, phone, cable TV, and intraschool video broadcasts.

III. Academic Data

Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR)
Through the California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program, students in grades 2-11 are tested annually in various subject areas. Currently, the STAR program includes California Standards Tests (CST) in English-language arts and mathematics in grades 2-11, science and history/social science in grades 9-11, and a norm-referenced test, which tests reading, language, and mathematics in grades 2-11, spelling in grades 2-8, and science in grades 9-11.

California Standards Tests (CST)
The California Standards Tests (CST) show how well students are doing in relation to the state content standards. Student scores are reported as performance levels. The five performance levels are Advanced (exceeds state standards), Proficient (meets state standards), Basic (approaching state standards), Below Basic (below state standards), and Far Below Basic (well below state standards). Students scoring at the Proficient or Advanced level meet state standards in that content area. Detailed information regarding results for each grade and proficiency level and the percent of students not tested can be found at the California Department of Education Web site at http://star.cde.ca.gov or by speaking with the school principal. Note: To protect student privacy, scores are not shown when the number of students tested is 10 or less.

CST - All Students
Data reported are the percent of students achieving at the proficient or advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standard).

Subject	School			District			State
	2001	2002	2003	2001	2002	2003	2001	2002	2003
English Language Arts	72	71	76	72	72	75	30	32	35
Mathematics		63	69		64	71		31	35
Science								30	27
History/Social Science			74			74		28	28

CST - Racial/Ethnic Groups
Data reported are the percent of students achieving at the proficient or advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standard).

Subject	African- American	American Indian or Alaska Native	Asian	Filipino	Hispanic or Latino	Pacific Islander	White (not Hispanic)
English Language Arts	52		85		50	11	80
Mathematics	35		90		39	17	74
Science
History/Social Science					46		77

CST - Subgroups
Data reported are the percent of students achieving at the proficient or advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standard).

Subject	Male	Female	English Learners	Socioeconomically Disadvantaged		Students With Disabilities		Migrant Education Services
				Yes	No	Yes	No
English Language Arts	74	77	10	26	77	29	79
Mathematics	72	66	33	22	71	16	73
Science
History/Social Science	79	68			75	46	76

Norm-Referenced Test (NRT)
Reading and mathematics results from the Norm-Referenced Test (NRT), adopted by the State Board of Education (this was the Stanford 9 test up until 2003, but was changed to the California Achievement Test, Sixth Edition for 2003), are reported for each grade level as the percent of tested students scoring at or above the 50th percentile (the national average). School results are compared to results at the district and state levels. Detailed information regarding results for each grade level can be found at the California Department of Education Web site at http://star.cde.ca.gov/ or by speaking with the school principal. Note: To protect student privacy, scores are not shown when the number of students tested is 10 or less.

NRT - All Students
Data reported are the percent of students scoring at or above the 50th percentile.

Subject	School			District			State
	2001	2002	2003	2001	2002	2003	2001	2002	2003
Reading	86	87	81	86	87	79	44	45	43
Mathematics	83	85	83	83	85	80	53	55	50

NRT - Racial/Ethnic Groups
Data reported are the percent of students scoring at or above the 50th percentile.

Subject	African- American	American Indian or Alaska Native	Asian	Filipino	Hispanic or Latino	Pacific Islander	White (not Hispanic)
Reading	65		88		56	22	86
Mathematics	48		95		62	33	88

NRT - Subgroups
Data reported are the percent of students scoring at or above the 50th percentile.

Subject	Male	Female	English Learners	Socioeconomically Disadvantaged		Students With Disabilities		Migrant Education Services
				Yes	No	Yes	No
Reading	81	82	14	42	83	34	85
Mathematics	81	86	43	42	85	39	87

California Physical Fitness Test
Data reported are the percent of students meeting fitness standards (scoring in the healthy fitness zone on all six fitness standards). Detailed information regarding the California Physical Fitness Test may be found at the California Department of Education Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/. Note: To protect student privacy, scores are not shown when the number of students tested is 10 or less.

Grade Level	School			District			State
	Total	Female	Male	Total	Female	Male	Total	Female	Male
5				50.0	65.1	35.5	23.8	25.2	22.3
7	28.9	39.3	20.4	28.9	39.3	20.4	27.8	29.6	26.0
9							24.8	23.3	26.2

Academic Performance Index (API)

The Academic Performance Index (API) is a score on a scale of 200 to 1000 that annually measures the academic performance and progress of individual schools in California. On an interim basis, the state has set 800 as the API score that schools should strive to meet.

Growth Targets: The annual growth target for a school is 5 percent of the distance between its Base API and 800. The growth target for a school at or above 800 is to remain at or above 800. Actual growth is the number of API points a school gained between its base and growth years. Schools that reach their annual targets are eligible for awards. Schools that do not meet their targets and have a statewide API rank of one to five are eligible to participate in the Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program (II/USP), which provides resources to schools to improve their academic achievement. There was no money allocated to the II/USP Program in 2002 or 2003.

Subgroup APIs and Targets: In addition to a schoolwide API, schools also receive API scores for each numerically significant subgroup in the school (i.e., racial/ethnic subgroups and socioeconomically disadvantaged students). Growth targets, equal to 80 percent of the school's target, are also set for each of the subgroups. Each subgroup must also meet its target for the school to be eligible for awards.

Percent Tested: In order to be eligible for awards, elementary and middle schools must test at least 95 percent of their students in grades 2-8 and high schools must test at least 90 percent of their students in grades 9-11 on STAR.

Statewide Rank: Schools receiving a Base API score are ranked in ten categories of equal size (deciles) from one (lowest) to ten (highest), according to type of school (elementary, middle, or high school).

Similar Schools Rank: Schools also receive a ranking that compares that school to 100 other schools with similar demographic characteristics. Each set of 100 schools is ranked by API score from one (lowest) to ten (highest) to indicate how well the school performed compared to schools most like it.

API criteria are subject to change as new legislation is enacted into law. Detailed information about the API and the Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA) can be found at the California Department of Education Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap/ or by speaking with the school principal.

Schoolwide API

API Base Data				API Growth Data
	2000	2001	2002		From 2000 to 2001	From 2001 to 2002	From 2002 to 2003
Percent Tested	100	99	100	Percent Tested	99	100	99
API Base Score	870	864	857	API Growth Score	872	876	885
Growth Target	#	A	A	Actual Growth	2	12	28
Statewide Rank	10	10	10
Similar Schools Rank	7	6	7

API Subgroups - Racial/Ethnic Groups

API Base Data				API Growth Data
	2000	2001	2002		From 2000 to 2001	From 2001 to 2002	From 2002 to 2003
White (Not Hispanic)				White (Not Hispanic)
API Base Score	900	890	882	API Growth Score	898	901	903
Growth Target	#	A	A	Actual Growth	-2	11	21

Awards and Intervention Programs
Eligibility for statewide award or intervention programs is based on API growth data from the previous academic year.
The Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program was not funded for the year 2002 or 2003.

School				District
Federal Programs	2001	2002	2003	Federal Programs	2001	2002	2003
Recognition for  Achievement (Title 1)	No	No	No	Number of Schools Identified  for Program Improvement	0	0	0
Identified for Program  Improvement (Title 1)	No	No	No	Percent of Schools Identified  for Program Improvement	0.0	0.0	0.0
Exited Title 1 Program  Improvement	No	No	No
Years Identified for  Program Improvement
California Programs	2001	2002	2003
Eligible for Governor's  Performance Award	No	Yes	Yes
Eligible for II/USP	No	---	---
Applied for II/USP Funding	No	---	---
Received II/USP Funding	No	---	---

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires that all students perform at or above the proficient level on the state's standards-based assessments by 2014. In order to achieve this goal and meet annual performance objectives, districts and schools must improve each year according to set requirements. Data reported show whether all groups of students in the school made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Detailed information about AYP can be found at the California Department of Education Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ay/ or by speaking with the school principal.

Groups	School			District
	2001	2002	2003	2001	2002	2003
All Students	---	---	Yes	---	---	Yes
African American	---	---	N/A	---	---	N/A
American Indian or Alaska Native	---	---	N/A	---	---	N/A
Asian	---	---	N/A	---	---	N/A
Filipino	---	---	N/A	---	---	N/A
Hispanic or Latino	---	---	N/A	---	---	No
Pacific Islander	---	---	N/A	---	---	N/A
White (not Hispanic)	---	---	Yes	---	---	Yes
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged	---	---	Yes	---	---	Yes
English Learners	---	---	N/A	---	---	Yes
Students with Disabilities	---	---	N/A	---	---	No

IV. School Completion (Secondary Schools)

      Not applicable to elementary/middle schools.

V. Class Size

Average Class Size and Class Size Distribution
Data reported are the average class size and the number of classrooms that fall into each category (i.e., number of students), by grade level, as reported by CBEDS.

       No data are available for this section

Average Teaching Load and Teaching Load Distribution
Data reported are the average class size and the number of classrooms that fall into each size category (i.e., number of students), by subject area as reported by CBEDS.

Subject	2001				2002				2003
	Avg. Class Size	Number of Classrooms			Avg. Class Size	Number of Classrooms			Avg. Class Size	Number of Classrooms
		1-22	23-32	33+		1-22	23-32	33+		1-22	23-32	33+
English	23.78	6	21		22.67	10	20		22.89	11	24
Mathematics	23.88	5	12		22.53	8	9		22.25	10	10
Science	22.82	9	8		22.00	11	6		23.25	7	9
Social Science	22.94	5	11		23.25	5	11		23.35	5	12

VI. Teacher and Staff Information

Teacher Credentials
Data reported are the number of teachers (full-time and part-time). Each teacher is counted as '1'. If a teacher works at two schools, he/she is only counted at one school. Data are not available for teachers with a full credential and teaching outside his/her subject area.

	2001	2002	2003
Total Teachers	37	39	43
Teachers with Full Credential  (full credential and teaching in subject area)	36	34	42
Teachers Teaching Outside Subject Area  (full credential but teaching outside subject area)
Teachers with Emergency Credential  (includes District Internship, University Internship, Pre-Interns, and Emergency Permits)	2	4	2
Teachers with Waivers  (does not have credential and does not qualify for an Emergency Permit)		3	0

Highly Qualified Teachers
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires local educational agencies (LEAs) to report specific data regarding highly qualified teachers. As of December of 2003, the State Board of Education (SBE) had not approved a definition for use in reporting data pertaining to highly qualified teachers. Therefore, the requirement that LEAs include these data will not apply to reports published during the 2003-04 school year.

The State Board of Education is scheduled to approve a definition for "highly qualified teacher" in 2004. Once approved, LEAs will be required to use the definition to provide data on report cards published during the 2004-05 school year.

Teacher Evaluations

By district contract, all permanent teachers are evaluated every two years, and every non-tenured employee is evaluated at least three times each year. Administrators participate in ongoing inservice training to refine skills in supervision.

Substitute Teachers

When teachers are absent, their classes are covered by substitute teachers or by Hillview teachers who give up their preparation periods to cover for their peers.  Efforts are continually made to recruit qualified substitute teachers, all of whom must have a valid California teaching credential and have passed the CBEST exam.

Counselors and Other Support Staff
Data reported are in units of full-time equivalents (FTE). One FTE is defined as a staff person who is working 100 percent (i.e., full time). Two staff persons who each work 50 percent of full time also equals one FTE.

Title	FTE
Counselor	1.2
Librarian	1.0
Psychologist	0.3
Social Worker
Nurse
Speech/Language/Hearing Specialist	0.4
Resource Specialist (non-teaching)
Other

Academic Counselors
Data reported are in units of full-time equivalents (FTE). One FTE is defined as a staff person who is working 100 percent (i.e., full time). Two staff persons who each work 50 percent of full time also equals one FTE. The ratio of students per academic counselor is defined as enrollment as reported by CBEDS divided by the full-time-equivalent academic counselors.

Number of Academic Counselors (FTE)	Ratio of Students Per Academic Counselor
0	0

VII. Curriculum and Instruction

School Instruction and Leadership

The total Hillview program is designed to meet the varied needs of pre and early adolescent students. A strong academic program is distinguished by the focus on core grouping and English/reading/ social studies integration at all grade levels. Specialist teachers teach math and science.  Elective and exploratory classes, student activities, and after-school sports (through the PTA) augment the academic program. Academic advice and counseling are offered and/or coordinated by the school's counselors. A full range of services to special-needs students is provided by the district's special education team as well as by district-supported TEAM teachers. All special education students, including those in our Special Day Class, receive the district core curriculum and are completely integrated into Hillview activities and programs. A specialist teacher and volunteers work with students with limited English abilities. Leadership is provided by the principal, working with the School Site Council, the PTA, and the faculty and staff. The Superintendent, the Director of Curriculum, and the business manager offer district direction. The four principals in Menlo Park meet weekly with the Superintendent, Director of Curriculum, business manager, and the Director of Student Services to discuss, evaluate and coordinate instruction programs at the schools. School curriculum planning groups meet weekly to coordinate and plan programs. The Child Study Team, composed of the counselor, regular classroom teachers, and special education personnel, meets regularly to plan ways to accommodate some individual students' needs.

Professional Development

The district values teachers' and administrators' professional development as a source and stimulant of student growth and achievement, and as an ongoing process of personal growth, learning, and satisfaction for individual staff members. Professional development opportunities provided by the district include Staff Development Days, attendance at courses and conferences by individual teachers, opportunities for collaborative planning and curriculum development, and systematic programs of observation and analysis of teaching. Additional support and services are provided through the state-funded Peer Assistance and Review program. The School Site Council also supports staff development programs with SIP funds.

Quality and Currency of Textbooks and Other Instructional Materials

Textbooks are generally purchased to coincide with the state curriculum cycle, which in turn is being impacted by new and recently developed state curriculum content standards in math, reading/language arts, science, and social studies. All texts are adopted from state-approved lists of standards-based texts.  The Menlo Park City School District places a high priority on providing sufficient textbooks and other materials necessary for teaching and learning. Through district and SIP funds, many sets of novels have been purchased to implement the state's literature-based language arts curriculum. The Hillview library currently has approximately 12,000 titles in its regular collection.

Instructional Minutes
The California Education Code establishes the required number of instructional minutes per year for each grade. Data reported compares the number of instructional minutes offered at the school level to the state requirement for each grade.

Grade Level	Instructional Minutes
	Offered	State Requirement
6	59,438	54,000
7	59,438	54,000
8	59,438	54,000

Total Number of Minimum Days

Menlo Park has eight approved minimum days, six of which are devoted to parent/teacher conferencing, one of which is the day before Thanksgiving, and one of which is the last day of school.

VIII. Postsecondary Preparation (Secondary Schools)

      Not applicable to elementary/middle schools.

IX. Fiscal and Expenditure Data

Average Salaries (Fiscal Year 2001-2002)
Data reported are the district average salary for teachers, principals, and superintendents, compared to the state average salaries for districts of the same type and size, as defined by Education Code Section 41409. The district average principal salary is shown separately for elementary, middle, and high schools, but the state average principal salary is combined.

Category	District Amount	State Average For Districts In Same Category
Beginning Teacher Salary	$41,304	$35,371
Mid-Range Teacher Salary	$66,871	$55,531
Highest Teacher Salary	$81,915	$67,900
Average Principal Salary (Elementary)	$109,185	$83,242
Average Principal Salary (Middle)	$112,695
Average Principal Salary (High)	NA
Superintendent Salary	$180,948	$115,103
Percent of Budget for Teacher Salaries	49.3	42.96
Percent of Budget for Administrative Salaries	5.2	6.17

Expenditures (Fiscal Year 2001-2002)
Data reported are total dollars expended in the district, and the dollars expended per student at the district compared to the state average. Detailed information regarding expenditures may be found at the California Department of Education Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/fd/.

District	District	State Average For Districts In Same Category	State Average All Districts
Total Dollars	Dollars per Student (ADA)	Dollars per Student (ADA)	Dollars per Student (ADA)
$17,414,797	$9,844	$6,444	$6,719

Types of Services Funded

Instructional and curriculum needs are met through various funding sources. District funds support, in addition to core academic programs, additional personnel for student support and instructional leadership.  The PTA, the Student Council, the Site Council, and the Education Foundation have all supplied grants to provide for major core events such as Greek Week for 6th graders, the 7th grade Renaissance Faire, and the week-long Decades Project that is part of the 8th grade U.S. History curriculum. The Education Foundation’s Jeanie Ritchie grants to teachers have recently funded projects such as rocketry, fetal pig dissection, and writing workshops with professional authors. The school’s computer lab was equipped with district, PTA, and SIP funds. Other computers and equipment have been obtained through donations and district, SIP, and PTA funding.  A state technology grant funded the acquisition of a variety of video equipment. The library/media center, known as the Barbara Miller Library and Technology Center, is fully automated. This automation has been accomplished through major fund raising efforts on the part of our librarian and volunteers.