John Muir High School and Altadena Elementary School received the lowest possible ranking on the Academic Performance Index, according to results released Wednesday for the state's main method of measuring how individual schools are performing.

Both Muir and Altadena Elementary received a ranking of 1 on the API, which scores school achievement on a scale of 1 to 10.

"It was not surprising," Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent Edwin Diaz said of Muir's results, considering the academically troubled high school posted an API score of 569 last year, a 32-point drop from its score of 601 in 2006.

Wednesday's ranking was based on last year's API score and other state-mandated testing, Diaz noted.

News that Muir had fallen below 600 on the API triggered the district in October to launch a complete overhaul of the high school. Earlier this year, the district approved a plan to turn Muir into five small "learning communities" - academies that would serve as schools within the school.

Muir teachers also were made to re-apply for their jobs.

In addition, Muir received five additional teachers this school year to staff more intervention classes for students on the verge of failing.

But the bulk of the changes at Muir, which is

in the fourth year of a state monitoring program, are scheduled to be implemented next school year.

More stability among Muir's administrators, including the appointment of a new principal this year, should help improve its 2008 API score, due to be released by the state this summer, Diaz said.

Altadena Elementary also received additional attention this school year, including extra funding to implement class-size reduction in fourth through sixth grades. The school also is implementing a variety of new teaching methods aimed at improving instruction, PUSD officials said.

Overall, the PUSD had mixed results on the API. While 11 schools saw improvements from last year, three schools stayed the same in their rankings, and six others saw their rankings drop.

The troubling performance of PUSD's three middle schools remains a concern, officials said. Elliot, Washington and Wilson middle schools all scored in bottom third in the statewide rankings.

District officials plan to discuss middle school reforms in June.

At other public school districts in the West San Gabriel Valley, most schools improved or maintained their API rankings.

Every school belonging to districts in the Arcadia, San Marino and South Pasadena received rankings of 10 - the same as last year's results.

The API ranks schools on how well they perform compared to other schools around the state. But it also compares schools with similar numbers of low-income and limited-English students, providing a separate ranking for that category.

South Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent Brian Bristol said he was "thrilled" with the results for his district's schools. He said the results show schools are making consistent academic strides from year to year.

"We are honing our skills and reaching our best potential," Bristol said.

caroline.an@sgvn.com

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