In addition to the 37 WCPSS schools that made all of their targets in 2007-08, 29 missed one AYP target, and 27 schools missed two targets. Under NCLB, schools must meet every target with every identified subgroup in order to make AYP.
The lower percentage of schools meeting the AYP standard for 2007-08 is largely due to a 12 percentage point increase in the state's proficiency target for mathematics at the elementary and middle school levels. While a larger percentage of WCPSS students were proficient in mathematics in 2007-08 than the previous year, the increased proficiency standard resulted in fewer schools achieving proficiency.
Additionally, while not reflected in these AYP calculations, new End-of-Grade Reading tests were implemented in 2007-08 in Grades 3 through 8. The results of the new tests will not be available until later this fall. Therefore, the current results are labeled "Preliminary" and include only three of the four sets of targets that schools must meet under AYP: mathematics participation, mathematics proficiency, and reading participation. The reading proficiency target results will be added later this fall.
High school data calculations are complete since the new reading standards did not apply there. At the high school level, 5 of 23 high schools met all AYP targets. The schools included Apex, Green Hope, Leesville Road, Panther Creek and Wake Early College of Health and Science. Another seven schools missed only one or two targets.
Of 30 middle schools, only Salem Middle met all targets achieving AYP. Another nine schools missed only one or two mathematics performance targets.
At the elementary school level, 31 of 96 schools met all reported targets. The schools included Brassfield, Brentwood, Brier Creek, Brooks, Carpenter, Carver, Cedar Fork, Davis Drive, Dillard Drive, East Garner, Forestville Road, Fuller, Green Hope, Harris Creek, Heritage, Highcroft, Holly Springs, Jeffreys Grove, Lacy, Leesville Road, Leadmine, Lockhart, Morrisville, Oak Grove, Olive Chapel, Powell, Reedy Creek, River Bend, Swift Creek, Vance and Wilburn elementary schools. Another 40 schools missed only one or two mathematics performance targets.
Under the No Child Left Behind law, if a Title I school does not make AYP for two years in a row in the same subject, the school enters school improvement status. At that point the school must offer all students the option to transfer to another school.
With the data currently available, Powell Elementary has made progress toward exiting school improvement status. In 2007-08, Powell Elementary achieved its math target for the second year in a row. Powell must also meet AYP for the reading targets to be reported later this year to exit school improvement status. By meeting AYP for two consecutive years, a school can exit school improvement.
Wendell and York elementary schools will move into a second year of school improvement status that requires that families have the opportunity to move into schools designated by the school board and receive opportunities for after school tutoring. After being in school improvement, Durant Road Elementary did not make AYP in 2007-08, but will not be affected since it will no longer be a Title I school in 2008-09.
Brentwood, Harris Creek and Wilburn elementary schools are currently in school improvement status, but made AYP in math for 2007-08. Brentwood and Wilburn must make AYP in the reading results to be reported later this year to progress towards a second successful year to move out of school improvement status. Harris Creek remains in school improvement status and the school's families will be provided the opportunity to move to schools designated by the school board. After being in school improvement, Fuller Elementary made AYP in math this year, but will not be affected since it will not be a Title I school in 2008-09.
Barwell Road, Briarcliff, Bugg, Conn, Creech Road, Fox Road, Lynn Road, Poe and Zebulon elementary schools will enter into school improvement status because they did not make AYP in math. The schools' families will be provided the opportunity to move to schools designated by the school board.
No additional WCPSS schools face the possibility of entering school improvement status based on AYP reading results due to be released this fall.
Analyses of the state's End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests are used in both the NCLB's Adequate Yearly Progress and the state's ABCs of Public Education, but each accountability program looks at the data in somewhat different ways. Adequate Yearly Progress measures subgroups of students against a fixed performance standard for all students. The ABCs of Public Education measures academic growth of students over the course of a year, as well as the percentage of students scoring at or above grade level. ABCs results for all schools will be released in August.
The AYP passing rate targets apply to defined student subgroups. In order to qualify as a subgroup, there must be at least 40 students in the school identified under one of nine separate categories: White, Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Multiracial, Limited English Proficiency, Economically Disadvantaged and Students with Disabilities. The school itself must also meet the target as a whole in order to meet the goal, and they must test at least 95% of their students in each of those defined subgroups.
School-by-school AYP results may be found at www.wcpss.net/test-scores/ayp/2008/. For additional information, please contact N.C. Department of Public Instruction at 919-807-3300 or visit www.ncpublicschools.org
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By comparison here are how other districts results faired for the same time period.
Wake County Schools
37/152 Schools (24.3%) made Adequate Yearly Progress
BY COMPARISON – CHARLOTTE/MECKLENBURG: 36/158 (22.8%) made AYP
Cumberland County Schools
29/85 Schools (34.1%) made Adequate Yearly Progress
Chapel Hill/Carrboro Schools
10/17 Schools (58.8%) made Adequate Yearly Progress
Durham Public Schools
8/46 Schools (17.4%) made Adequate Yearly Progress
Johnston County Schools
19/38 Schools (50%) made Adequate Yearly Progress
Orange County Schools
4/12 Schools (33.3%) made Adequate Yearly Progress
