My Thoughts on AYP

Nationally, US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan has predicted that approximately 83% of the public schools in America will not make AYP.  In Georgia, this past year, 63% of the school districts did not make AYP. Because we know what the AMO (Annual Measurable Objectives) numbers are, we know what percentage of our students will need to pass the tests over the next three years.  We know that 2012 “cut scores” for Math will be 83.8%; for 2013, the “cut scores” will be 91.9%; and for 2014, the “cut scores” will be 100%.  These cut scores follow the trajectory required by NCLB, “100% of this nation’s children will achieve proficiency on the state level exams that they take by the 2014.” 

Georgia’s path began in 2003 where mastery required that 50% of students meet proficiency levels for two years in a row.  In 2005, proficiency requirements jumped to 58.3% and stayed there until 2008.  In 2008, the Math AMO’s jumped to 59.5%, staying there until 2010, when scores jumped to 67.6%.  As you can see the road to 2014, is marked with sharp inclines in the percentages of students expected to achieve proficiency, as 2011 required 75.7% of students exhibit proficiency and 2012 will require that 83.8% demonstrate proficiency.  Perhaps this is why the Secretary of Education is now permitting states to submit waivers.

Greene County Schools System (GCSS) has received its preliminary results for the Criterion Referenced Competency Tests for grades 3 through 8 for the 2010-2011, school year.  These final results (includes re-tests) are yet to be published by the state department of education.  However, we share the final results as determined by school district records.

Greene County Preliminary CRCT Results

2010-11 School Year

Union Point Elementary School made AYP as did our Charter School – LOA.  Union Point became a Distinguished Title I School, as they have made AYP three years in a row now.

We compared our 2000-2010 scores to our 2010-2011 scores.  In General the following occurred:

In Reading, Improvements in 5 of   6  Grades Compared to 09-10

In English/Language Arts, Improvements in 4 of 6  Grades Compared to 09-10

In Math, Improvements in 4 of 6  Grades Compared to 09-10

In Science, Improvements in  3 of 6  Grades Compared to 09-10

In Social Studies, Improvements in   3  of  6  Grades Compared to 09-10

In Reading Language Arts, an AYP subject, 88.3 % of Greene County students in grades three through 8 met or exceeded standards on the CRCTs in 2009-10. (Preliminary results for 2010-11 showed   90.5 %* meeting or exceeding standards.)  *Includes Re-Tests

In Math, an AYP subject, 70.5 % of Greene County students in grades three through 8 met or exceeded standards on the CRCTs in 2009-10. (Preliminary results for 2010-11 showed    75 %* meeting or exceeding standards.) *Includes Re-Tests

3rd Grade: é 1.5% (+)

4th Grade: ê 8.5%  (-)

5th Grade: é 6.5%  (+)

6th Grade: é 2.0% (+)

7th Grade: é 2.0% (+)

8th Grade: é 3.0% (+)

In English/Language Arts, GCSS demonstrated improvement in   4  of   6   grades shown below:

3rd Grade: é    9.0% (  +  )

4th Grade: ê 14.5%  (  -   )

5th Grade: é    3.0%  (  +  )

6th Grade: ê   1.0%  (  -   )

7th Grade: é    5.0%  (  +  )

8th Grade: é   4.0%  (  +  )

In Math, GCSS demonstrated improvement in   4  of    6  grades as shown below:

3rd Grade: é    1.5%  (+)

4th Grade: ê 10.5%  (-)

5th Grade: é    6.5%  (+) 

6th Grade: é   2.0%  (+)

7th Grade: ê   6.0%  (-) 

8th Grade: é 16.5%  (+)

In Science, GCSS demonstrated improvement in   3  of   6  grades as shown below:

3rd Grade: é 2.0%  (+) 

4th Grade: é 12.0% (-)

5th Grade: é 1.5%  (+) 

6th Grade: ê  1.0%  (-) 

7th Grade: ê   3.0%  (-)

8th Grade: é 12.0% (+) 

In Social Studies, GCSS demonstrated improvement in   3    of   6  grades as shown below:

3rd Grade: é 23.0%  (+)

4th Grade: ê 12.0%   (-) 

5th Grade: é    1.5% (-) 

6th Grade: é    20.5%  (+)

7th Grade: ê    22.0%  (-) 

8th Grade: é      8.0%  (+)  

Although No Child Left Behind has its many faults, one important outgrowth of the law has been a focus on using student assessment data to drive instruction. The other and perhaps the most important is the intent of the law to cause us to focus on all of the students.  Because we must look at subgroups of students, as well as, total student scores, we have opportunities to see where student need is and what students have the need.

This last school year, while three of our five schools did not make AYP, we did see marked improvement at the grade levels.  However, we still have more work to do.  We will share best practices and celebrate the teachers who have demonstrated 100% proficiency on these same tests with their students.  We know that they have been able to obtain success; what we need to learn is how they have been able to do it.  We will work together, collaborating as we work, because it is all about the children.