On Tuesday, Oct. 16, students received Kudos bars from Leadership to congratulate them for the school’s new API score of 956, a seven point jump for MVHS since the previous year. The score is the school’s highest ever, only 44 points away from a perfect 1000.

The  API score  is determined by a school’s performance on STAR tests as well as other factors, including dropout rates and the percentage of students who pass the California High School Exit Exam.

“An API score truly shows whether students are reaching the [California] standard,” Principal April Scott said. “At MVHS, it isn’t a problem, as teachers aren’t very worried about STAR testing because they know their curriculum is solid. If something is missing, the teachers for that department will meet and make a plan to fix it.”

According to Scott, the school receives a detailed report of STAR test results that allows teachers to target the areas in their curriculum that students can improve on. Such changes were made in the MVHS Biology department several years ago, and scores have improved since.

“Certainly [the score is] a tribute to the students and also a tribute to the teachers,” Scott said. “They work hard to meet the standards.”

MVHS’s top API competitors in the area are usually Mission San Jose High School and Lowell High School; however, this year MVHS has received the same score as LHS and has surpassed MSJHS, which has a score of 951.

But API scores are more than just a source of pride. Not only are colleges aware of API scores, the real estate market is as well. As API scores have continued to rise, the demand for housing in the area has increased, leading to higher house prices.

“The one bad part about API scores is that [they are] completely public,” Scott said. “This means that anyone, including real estate agents have the right to see them. Ultimately, our house prices will be rising, which can be a good or bad thing.”