RPS and the AYP

As the Virginia Department of Education releases the Adequate Yearly Progress numbers for 2009-2010, the time has come for administrators, teachers, and parents to start combing through numbers to see just how well their kids are doing.

August 13, 2009; 1:06 PM • by Valerie Catrow

The Virginia Department of Education released the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) stats this morning.

Before we get to the numbers, here’s a very basic explanation of what achieving AYP means:

Adequate Yearly Progress is a state’s measure of yearly progress toward achieving state academic standards, based in Virginia on the students’ SOL scores. Adequate yearly progress is the minimum level of improvement that states, school districts, and schools must achieve each year, according to No Child Left Behind.

For those of you who prefer more lengthy explanations:

For a school or school division to make AYP under the federal education law, it must meet or exceed separate requirements and objectives. A school or school division that falls short on a single requirement or objective is not considered to have made AYP. These requirements include objectives for participation in testing in reading and mathematics, achievement in these subjects, and attendance (elementary and middle schools) or graduation (high schools). A minimum of 95 percent of students overall must participate in reading and mathematics testing, and 95 percent of students in each of the following subgroups also must take state assessments in these two subjects: white, black, Hispanic, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students, and students with limited-English proficiency. Students may be counted in more than one subgroup. Students overall and in each subgroup must meet the annual measurable objectives (AMO) for proficiency in reading and mathematics or reduce the failure rates on tests in reading and mathematics by at least 10 percent. Schools and school divisions also must meet annual objectives for progress on other indicators of academic achievement.

Here’s how it looked in Richmond City Schools. Schools marked with * receive some form of Title I assistance.

Elementary Schools

Bellevue: Made AYP*
Blackwell: Did not make AYP (also did not make AYP in 2008 and 2007)*
Broad Rock: Made AYP*
Carver, G.W.: Made AYP*
Cary, John B.: Made AYP*
Chimborazo: Made AYP*
Clark Springs: Made AYP*
Fairfield Court: Made AYP*
Fisher, J.B.: Made AYP
Fox, William: Did not make AYP (made AYP in 2008 and 2007)
Francis, J.L.: Made AYP*
Ginter Park: Made AYP*
Greene, E.S.H.: Did not make AYP (made AYP in 2008, did not make AYP in 2007)*
Holton, Linwood: Made AYP*
Jones, M.J.: Made AYP*
Mason, George: Made AYP*
Maymont: Made AYP*
Munford, Mary: Made AYP
Oak Grove/Bellmeade: Made AYP*
Overby-Sheppard: Made AYP*
Patrick Henry: N/A (New school)
Redd, E.D.: Made AYP*
Reid, G.H.: Made AYP*
Southampton: Made AYP*
Stuart, J.E.B.: Made AYP*
Summer Hill: Did not make AYP (made AYP in 2008 and 2007)*
Swansboro: Made AYP*
Westover Hills: Made AYP*
Woodville: Made AYP*

Middle Schools

Binford: Made AYP*
Boushall, T.C.: Made AYP*
Brown, L.M.: Made AYP*
Elkhardt: Made AYP*
Henderson, T.H.: Did not Make AYP (did not make AYP in 2008, made AYP in 2007)*
Hill, A.H.: Did not make AYP (made AYP in 2008 and 2007)*
King Jr., Martin Luther: Did not make AYP (made AYP in 2008 and 2007)*
Thompson: Did not make AYP (made AYP in 2008, did not make AYP in 2007)*

High Schools

Armstrong: Did not make AYP (made AYP in 2008, did not make AYP in 2007)
Huguenot: Made AYP
Franklin Military Academy: Made AYP*
Jefferson, Thomas: Made AYP
John Marshall: Made AYP
Wythe, George: Did not made AYP (did not make AYP in 2008 or 2007)
Open High: Made AYP
Richmond Community High: Made AYP

A decent showing, although the middle school numbers are frustrating. It is, however, no secret that despite the efforts of some dedicated individuals, Richmond City middle schools continue to struggle.

Another point worth noting: the overall success for the City of Richmond hit 78%, compared to 71% statewide.

So, what does all of this mean for these Richmond schools? Well, it’s important to remember that meeting AYP and being accredited are not the same thing. As John Murden over at Church Hill People’s News put it, “The targets for school or systems AYP were initially set in relation to an individual school’s baseline performance and get progressively more stringent each year… Accreditation is based on meeting testing requirements that are standard across the state.” The ultimate goal here (according to No Child Left Behind) is for 100% of students to pass the reading and math tests by the 2013-2014 school year.

Schools with Title I status that do not meet AYP for two consecutive years are placed in “School Improvement Stauts,” meaning that they must offer alternative school attendance opportunities to students within their schools. Looking at the stats listed here, the only school that applies to is Henderson Middle School.

If that goes to three years (as it has with Blackwell Elementary and George Wythe), they must continue to offer alternative school attendance opportunities as well as opportunities for students to get enrichment outside of school time.

To see all of the AYP states for the rest of the Richmond area and the state as a whole, stop by the Virginia Department of Education’s website.

For more community-specific conversations, check out Church Hill People’s News and North Richmond News. We’ll add more links to other community news sites should more related posts pop up.