Most area school districts made some progress in their Academic Performance Index rankings, according to figures reviewed by the Oklahoma State Board of Education on Thursday.

Oklahoma schools inched closer to the perfect API rating of 1500 points. The 2009 state average Academic Performance Index was 1289, up 10 points from 1279 in 2008.

Shelly Hickman, public affairs director for the Oklahoma Department of Education, said the state board reviewed the results, which had been on the department’s Web site for several weeks.

The list of API results showed three area districts with scores above 1400, including Fort Gibson, which went from 1407 to 1417 API.

The other districts were the dependent schools of Wainwright, with a 1425 API and Tenkiller, with a 1405 API, both up from 2008.

The Muskogee Public Schools’ total API was 1158, up from 1125 in 2008.

Hilldale improved its API, going from 1358 in 2008 to 1366 in 2009.

Other school districts doing better than state average were Keys, Norwood, Shady Grove, Tahlequah, Woodall, Checotah, Eufaula, Midway, Gore, Vian, Oktaha and Warner.

The API is a score between 0 and 1500 measuring a school or district’s performance and progress in standardized test scores on reading/language arts and mathematics, as well as attendance rates and high school graduation rates.

The 2009 API results for Oklahoma schools reflect results of standardized tests Oklahoma students took in April.

Next year’s API ratings for Oklahoma schools could drop when the indexes reflect test scores that were realigned to more closely match standards of the National Assessment for Educational Progress. This year’s API was held harmless for the first year after the realignment.

Academic Performance Index measures a school’s or district’s performance and progress in standardized test scores on reading/language arts and mathematics, as well as attendance rates and high school graduation rates. Perfect score is 1500.