Orinda schools consistently rank in the state’s top 1% for performance, although they rank in the state’s bottom 1% for funding. Many educators and parents credit Orinda Network for Education (ONE) for helping local schools bridge the financial gap between the money the state provides and what it actually costs to set Orinda students up for success. Pictured is Sarah Anderson, a sixth grade instructional support teacher at Orinda Intermediate School.
Despite a very low level of state funding, students in Orinda schools continue to shine brightly on state assessment testing.
Many educators and parents recognize the contributions of the Orinda Network for Education (ONE) to the high level of local students’ achievement.
“Obviously, ONE is thrilled that the test scores have shown us what we already know, which is that we have an excellent school district here,” said Alicia Keenan, president of ONE, a local non-profit that streamlines and strengthens fundraising efforts of the community and the schools’ parents’ clubs.
“It’s really a matter of resources,” she continued, “And ONE is thrilled to be able to partner with the school district [and Miramonte] so that we can provide those resources.”
The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System, which replaced the previous state Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program back in 2013, covers mathematics, English and science. The English and math portions are administered to students in grades three through eight and grade 11. The science portion is given to fifth and eighth graders and once to high schoolers.
There are also alternate assessments available for students with cognitive disabilities and an optional test for students who seek to measure their Spanish-specific skills.
The tests take place in the spring, are administered online via computers through a secure and locked browser and are not timed.
Orinda Union School District (OUSD) Superintendent Aida Glimme said while there is no official ranking for schools and districts who take the CAASPP, the district’s test scores are higher than comparative districts in the state. Data provided by OUSD show their impressive test scores are relatively consistent from 2023 to 2024.
The Acalanes Union High School District (AUSD) collects data for its six schools, including Miramonte – the only one in Orinda. Miramonte has the highest cumulative scores of any of their peer schools and has seen the greatest leap in scores from 2023 to 2024, an increase of 2.98% in English and 2.86% in math.
“There’s really no silver bullet to the scores increasing – it truly is a comprehensive team effort,” said Ben Campopiano. “Experienced and skilled teachers focused on rigor, engagement and support. Extremely smart and dedicated students focused on learning the material at a deep level. And really strong staff and administrators helping to ensure that the test-taking process runs smoothly to ensure that students have the best opportunity to show what they know.
“All of these things, coupled with an intentional focus on progress, have helped us to be one of the best high schools in the state on these state tests.”
Jami Greer, associate principal for Miramonte praised the collaborative investment that has led to student testing success, with involvement from the school’s technology team, teachers and student families, as well as investment from the students themselves.
“We are lucky to have students who have great pride in Miramonte,” she said.
“It really takes every single person on campus to be invested in preparation and making sure that the students have the equipment, the curriculum and the knowledge as to why we’re doing this,” Greer continued. “And then it also takes families, because we also need our families to be invested in having their kids show up.”
Glimme spoke of the tangible contributions that ONE makes to area schools, such as two full-time Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSA).
While teachers are trained to provide intervention in the classroom, there are students that need more intervention and time, said Glimme. “These are students that just need some additional instruction to get them up to grade level … get them up to speed,” she said, and the TOSAs are “heavily trained in specific strategies and how to do that.”
Without ONE funding, the schools would not have the TOSAs, said Glimme, “Because that’s not something that we could do out of the general fund.”
Keenan highlighted the motivational role of lunchtime sports at Orinda Intermediate School (OIS), another student-centered asset funded by ONE. The structured sporting events give the staff “a student body that got some rest and some recreation and some endorphins during their break,” something she thinks “is going to make that history, science and Spanish class just better afterwards.”
Lynn Spiegel is the parent of a sixth grader at OIS and she has three other children who attended OUSD schools through the eighth grade.
“I was just blown away by the test scores,” she said. “They’re fantastic.” She emphasized the contributions made to ONE by parents. “Without the ONE donations, we would have larger class sizes, we would not have the electives that we have at Orinda Intermediate School.”
Spiegel is impressed with the education that her children have gotten through the local schools and acknowledged ONE’s role in helping students shine.
“It’s quite amazing, all that ONE does, and the generosity of the community in Orinda is unmatched,” she said.