In 2001, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law was enacted. The major goal of NCLB is to ensure that all children are performing on grade level in reading and math by school year 2013-2014. To ensure that schools are making progress towards these goals, they are required to report on their progress each year. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for schools is based on three areas:
I. Testing
The law requires that schools test students and report student performance in grades 3-8 in reading/language arts and in math. The target goal in reading/language arts for this past school year (2004-2005) is 76.7% for grades 3-8. In math the target goal is 81% for students in grades 3-8. CCS uses the End-of-Grade test scores in reading and math to determine proficiency for students in those grades.
The law also requires that schools test students and report student performance in grade 10 in reading/language arts and in math. The target goal in reading/language arts for 2004-2005 is 35.4% for grade 10. The target goal in math is 70.8% for grade 10. CCS uses Algebra I End of Course scores to report on the math proficiency. For reading/language arts reporting, CCS uses a combination of English I End of Course scores and Writing test scores. A student must score at least a level 3 on BOTH the Writing test and the English I End of Course test to be counted as proficient. Bear in mind that most students complete English I and Algebra I when they are freshmen, so these scores are “banked” or stored until the following year when the students are in grade 10. The only current year score to be reported for grade 10 is the writing score. Changes in curriculum or instruction will not be evident until the year after implementation of the change.
II. Participation
In addition, the law requires that schools test 100% of its students in those same grades. Schools may not drop below a 95% participation rate.
III. Other Academic Indicator
For elementary and middle schools, the other academic indicator is attendance rate.
For high schools, the other academic indicator is the graduation rate. Graduation rate is based on a cohort definition. The cohort is determined by the number of students who enter ninth grade and then graduate four years later.
When reporting data, a school must disaggregate in all categories for all subgroups in the school. Subgroups would include the school as a whole, White, Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, Multiracial, Economically Disadvantaged, Limited English Proficient Students, and Students with Disabilities. The school must have at least 40 students in the subgroup to disaggregate the data for it. If a school does not meet the target for just ONE subgroup, then it does not make AYP for that school year. Each subgroup has the same target goals in all areas as does the school as a whole. This means, for example, that the Limited English Proficient students or the Students with Disabilities must meet the 76.7% proficiency target in reading that all other students must meet.
A school can fall short of its AYP target goals, but still be a providing a sound education for most of its students. Not meeting AYP target goals means that a school has now identified an area(s) for improvement.
The Safe Harbor provision of the NCLB law means that a school gets credit for significant improvement in an area even if it did not meet the target goal for that area. For example, if a school does not meet the target goal for attendance rate, but significantly increased the attendance rate over the previous year, then the school would be granted ‘Safe Harbor' for that area. Safe Harbor counts as AYP.
In 2004-2005 only, if a school did not meet AYP goals only because its Students with Disabilities subgroup did not meet its target goal, then 14.4% was added to the proficiency percentage for the Students with Disabilities subgroup. The new percentage was measured against the target goal to determine AYP. If the new percentage met the target goal, then AYP was granted.