"Kids can get the average (number), but they don't know what an average is," she said.

Isn't it important to know what you're doing, not just how to do it? Its great to know an algorithm but if you don't understand the fundamental concept of what you're doing then how are you supposed to know when to use it and how can you remember and mentally reconstruct the algorithm a year after you last used it?

These comparisons are pretty useless unless one looks at demographics. There is an almost perfectly direct correlation between economic status + parent education level and achievement on these tests. Bullis has the highest economic status and parent education around, so its students score highly on these tests.

For example, Bullis has less than 1% economically disadvantaged, 0% with no college degree, and 83% with graduate/post graduate degrees. Compare that to MVWSD which has 41% economically disadvantaged, 40% do not have a college degree, and only 35% graduate/post graduate.

No doubt the kids at Bullis are smart and well educated, but the data suggests that is due more to wealth and well educated parents than to Bullis teaching methods.

Details of the scores can be found here at this linkWeb Link

Yes, restrict ESL and special needs kids and your test scores will go up.
They should not be compared to other schools because they have stacked the deck.
When you stack the deck, someone WILL get 4 aces, but that doesn't mean they have won a thing. It should be compared to private schools, no doubt.

Isn't the main point the fact that some students are having more problems with the new test than with the old test?

As for economic status, in Los Altos School District 2 other schools aren't that different from Bullis Charter in economic status. Oak Avenue has 279 students with only 3 low economic status. Of their other students, 93% more or Exceeded standards. But over at Gardner Bullis in Los Altos Hills, reports with 199 students and only 2 low economic status. Of THEIR other students (not low economic status) 86% met or exceeded the standards. So that's quite a difference there between the two schools with similar economic status.... Of course, both are still way above the state average.

The scores are reported for every school with the low economic status separated out from the others.... no need to guess. A lot of charters have way more low economic status than do the traditional schools. Bullis just matches its district, but does not really exceed the parent background. All the schools in LASD including Bullis have a lot of foreign born parents, which often means low economic status, but not in this case.