BURLINGAME – David A. Sanchez, president of the 340,000-member California Teachers Association, issued this statement about today’s release by the California Department of Education of the results of the 2008 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program results:
“The steady test score gains made by students across the state shown in the new STAR Program results are a tribute to the dedication of teachers, parents and students working together to achieve academic success. Since 2003, nearly 533,000 more California students have become proficient in English-language arts, and more than 415,000 more have become proficient in math. We are seeing gains in science and social science scores as well.
“This steady and significant progress cannot continue if our schools and students don’t have the resources they need. With schools already starting across the state, it’s time for the Legislature to pass a responsible state budget—one that protects our schools from deeper cuts and takes a balanced approach to the budget deficit. Our students didn’t create the state budget crisis, and their futures shouldn’t be sacrificed to solve it.”