Students at Dare County’s eleven public schools achieved 141 of 145 targets prescribed by the federal Adequate Yearly Progress standards, for a success rate of 97 percent. “Adequate Yearly Progress,” is a term which originated with federal legislation known as “No Child Left Behind.” The federal legislation requires that 100 percent of students perform on or above grade level by 2013-2014. Until then, each state sets “targets” of proficiency by grade level and subject that gradually increase to 100 percent.To determine AYP status, students are divided into subgroups, such as students on free or reduced lunch, students for whom English is a Second Language, students with learning disabilities, and by ethnic groups. If a single subgroup does not achieve the targeted proficiency level, a school does not make AYP. Also, a school must test 95 percent of each subgroup of students in every subject and grade. Failure to test 95 percent of the students in even one subgroup excludes a school from making AYP.
Accordingly, the following nine schools in Dare County Schools fully qualified for AYP by meeting 100 percent of their targets as listed:
Cape Hatteras Elementary School met 13 of 13 targets
First Flight Elementary School met 13 of 13 targets
Kitty Hawk Elementary School met 9 of 9 targets
Manteo Elementary School met 17 of 17 targets
Nags Head Elementary School met 13 of 13 targets
First Flight Middle School met 17 of 17 targets
Manteo Middle School met 19 of 19 targets
Dare County Alternative School met 3 of 3 targets
Manteo High School met 9 of 9 targets
Two schools missed only two targets as listed:
Cape Hatteras Secondary School met 17 of 19 targets
First Flight High School met 11 of 13 targets
The targets missed at Cape Hatteras Secondary School were related to the percentage of students on free or reduced lunch and all students who were at or above grade level in mathematics in grades six through eight. At First Flight High School, student scores surpassed the necessary targets in every subject, but for the second year in a row, the United States Department of Education ruled that First Flight High School did not test the required 95 percent of its students on free or reduced lunch because certain special education students were not enrolled or tested in Algebra I or English 10.
“It is very frustrating for students and teachers at First Flight High School who have worked so hard not to be given credit for making AYP solely because the federal department of education does not approve of North Carolina’s curriculum for certain special education students,” said Superintendent Sue F. Burgess. Last year, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction appealed the federal ruling concerning which students had to be enrolled and tested in Algebra I and English 10. Having lost the appeal, the state has adjusted its curriculum requirements for 2010-2011 that could potentially prevent this from happening again next year, explained Burgess.
“Overall, the results are very good, with the exception being the two missed targets in math at Cape Hatteras Secondary School,” said Burgess. “I’m very proud of the nine schools that met each and every target.”