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The Bonita Unified School District has tested above the bar.

The district, which includes schools in both San Dimas and La Verne, has scored above the state target of 800 in the Academic Performance Index, aimed at measuring academic improvement in schools.

The scores are accumulated from the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program as well as High School Exit Exams, taken by students in grades two through 11.

"We really have a strong teaching staff who are committed to ongoing improvement," said Lois Klein, Bonita assistant superintendent of educational services.

The 9,700-student district claims a higher API score than the state average of 727.

The API was established by California's Public Schools Accountability Act, which pushes schools to strive to improve their academic scores every year.

But it's what the schools do with those scores that are really important.

"We look at the results by individuals, by class, by grade and by school," Klein said. "For all the strengths we have, we also have places for improvement."

Oak Mesa Elementary School in La Verne topped all of Bonita's schools, with an API score of 909. The maximum score is 1,000.