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The long-delayed Academic Performance Index (API) was released today, showing double-digit gains for LAUSD. The API is a yearly number that charts the progress of public school students in California and is used to measure individual school and district performance statewide. The 16-point gain for LAUSD was its fifth double-digit improvement in a row, and the largest for any urban school district.

In a statement, LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy praised the progress, saying, “In spite of five years of brutal budget cuts, 10,000 layoffs, larger class sizes, and a shortened school year, teachers continue to focus on instruction, learning and our goals.”

The API has been a source of frustration for educators who say it places too much emphasis on the results of standardized tests. Last month, Governor Brown signed legislation that will broaden how schools are measured using multiple factors in addition to testing.

Also today, California state school chief Tom Torlakson released a new online tool called School Quality Snapshot that allows you to drill down on the details.