Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is one of the cornerstones of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

It is a measure of year-to-year student achievement on statewide assessments. It is an annual measure of student participation and achievement of statewide assessments and other academic indicators.

Accountability is a key component in the NCLB Act. The State of Georgia, each local school district, and each individual school is held accountable for the academic success of students.

The federal law requires that each state set high academic standards and implement an extensive student testing program which is aligned with the curriculum standards of that state and which measures students’ achievement based on the standards. AYP requires schools to meet standards in three areas: Test Participation (for both Mathematics and Reading/English Language Arts), Academic Performance (for both Mathematics and Reading/English Language Arts), and a second indicator. AYP holds each local school district and each individual school accountable for the academic success of students.

Schools earn Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status by meeting a series of performance goals that every school, system, and the state as a whole must achieve under the federal NCLB Act. In Georgia, AYP for elementary and middle schools is determined using results from the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) in reading/English language arts and mathematics. For high schools, the Georgia High School Graduation Tests in English/Language Arts and Mathematics are used to determine AYP status. These tests measure the knowledge and skills of students by assessing how well students have learned the state’s curriculum content standards. To make AYP, elementary and middle schools must meet state set student achievement goals and attendance standards for all students, and for all subgroups that have 40 or more students or 10 percent of the students in grades 1-8, whichever is greater (with a 75-student cap). In addition, schools must test 95 percent of all students and of all subgroups with 40 or more students. For high schools to meet AYP, students must meet proficiency on the graduation tests and meet a certain percentage in the number of students graduating. Georgia reports achievement scores for every subgroup with 10 or more students. However, the state only considers results for subgroups that meet the state set minimum number of students in determining a school’s AYP status.

Attendance is the second indicator meeting AYP in the Bryan County elementary and middle schools. Student attendance is important for all schools throughout the district. Improving student attendance is an annual school goal for Bryan County Schools. This includes reducing student absences, tardiness and early releases. When students are not in class, they miss valuable academic information. It is important for students to be present in school and on time for all classes every day.

It is a school system goal to make Adequate Yearly Progress system-wide for the 2007-2008 school year. We will continue to work with our students to ensure that each child demonstrates growth and learning with the academic knowledge and skills as they relate to the Georgia Performance Standards. We encourage you to work with your child at home to support the learning activities from school. Visit the Georgia Department of Education website to review the testing tips, materials, and performance standards for your child’s grade level. With your help and support, Bryan County will make AYP! For additional information, please visit the website for the Georgia Department of Education at www.gadoe.org.