Today, Commissioner Lyonel Tracy announced the release of 2009 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) reports for New Hampshire schools and school districts. Preliminary designations for new schools and districts in need of improvement (SINIs and DINIs) are also released.
At the same time, the Department of Education is releasing the third set of School, District, and Statewide Growth Target Reports. These reports allow the public to see how many students are progressing toward their individually calculated growth targets. In addition to these reports, each school is provided access to their student rosters in order to determine if students met their targets for October 2008 and what their new target will be for October 2009. The development of Growth Target Reports to document the academic progress of each child is another tool by which schools and teachers can effectively plan the instruction and support that each one needs to succeed. “The goal is to have each school district commit to a personalized education so that students will achieve their Follow The Child Growth Target,” Commissioner Tracy stated.
The 2009 AYP Reports are based on the October 2008 New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) results for Grades 3-8 and 11, together with the 2007-2008 NH-Alternate Assessment results for Grades 2-7 and 10. AYP is calculated through an index system, with schools and districts receiving full credit for each student that scores proficient or better and partial credit for student scores below proficient.
To make AYP, a school or district must meet performance targets established for students in reading and mathematics, as well as meet state targets for student participation, attendance, and graduation (at high school). Student performance in the school as a whole is measured, as well as the performance of specific subgroups of students, which are broken down by ethnicity, socioeconomic status, educational disability, and non or limited English proficiency. To comply with the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act that all students demonstrate proficiency by 2013-2014.
Of the 477 AYP reports released today, 205 schools made AYP in all areas measured and 253 did not make AYP in one or more areas. Nineteen of the 474 schools are receiving a small-school designation until AYP can be calculated. By subject area, 277 made AYP in reading, and 243 made AYP in mathematics. Of the schools not making AYP, 18 schools did not meet the 95% student participation target in at least one subgroup. In addition, five high schools missed the Graduation Rate target.
Schools not making AYP for two consecutive years in the same area are designated a School in Need of Improvement (SINI). Based on the new results, 72 schools are identified as new Schools in Need of Improvement, increasing the total number of schools identified for improvement to 238. Schools not making AYP have 30 days to file an appeal with the State Department of Education.
Twelve schools in need of improvement made AYP for the second consecutive year, and therefore exited improvement status: Conway Elementary; Daisy Bronson School, Littleton; Henry Moore School, Candia; Newport High School; Northwood Elementary; Paul Smith School, Franklin; Pine Tree Elementary, Conway; Rochester Middle School; Stark Village School; Thornton’s Ferry, Merrimack; Weare Middle School; and Woodbury Middle School, Salem.
To calculate AYP at the district level, student data is aggregated by grade span groupings: elementary/middle (grades 3-8) and high school (grade 11), and then compared to the performance targets in reading and mathematics. For the district to receive a negative AYP designation, both grade span groups must fail to make AYP in the same content area. Districts not making AYP for two consecutive years in the same content area are identified as districts in need of improvement.
Of the 162 AYP district reports issued, 80 districts made AYP and 81 did not make AYP, with one district too small to receive an AYP determination at this time. An analysis of the new results shows that five districts made AYP for the second consecutive year and exited improvement status: Hudson, Merrimack, Newport, Northwood, and Stark.
Twenty-four new districts are preliminarily identified as in need of improvement, increasing the number of districts in improvement to 54. The appeal process and timeline for districts is similar to the process provided for schools. In accordance with state and federal law, schools and districts identified as in need of improvement must develop plans focused on the areas which caused the designation.
Individual school and district reports, together with school and district in need of improvement information, is available through the Department of Education NH School District Profile Web site or additional information about understanding AYP and Growth Targets can be found at www.ed.state.nh.us/education/ayp.
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