The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law has a very laudable goal – 100 percent of American students passing standardized tests in reading and math by the year 2014. Along the way to that goal, schools and districts must make progress, marked as “Adequate Yearly Progress” or AYP. This seemingly simple concept is not quite so simple in the execution. It also sounds pretty straightforward: a school or district either makes it or it does not. The reality is much more complex.
Schools are expected to increase the percentage of students meeting the standard on state reading and math tests each year at specific grade levels. Each of eight subgroups of students must also meet the standard. Those subgroups are five major racial/ethnic groups, students with disabilities, English Language Learners and low-income students. If the percentage of students in any one subgroup performing at standard on the test does not meet the requirement, then the school does not make AYP even if the whole school on average is doing very well. High schools are also judged on graduation/dropout rates. Junior highs and elementary schools are judged on unexcused absence rates.
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction has a very informative website that explains in detail how AYP is determined and what happens if it is not met.
AYP and Title I Schools
The first year that a school does not make AYP is essentially a warning year: there are no consequences. If the school does not make AYP two years in a row, then they are deemed to be “In Improvement.” This status has specific consequences for schools that have a high level of low-income students and as a result receive federal Title I funding. For other schools, there are no specific consequences beyond having the label. However, all schools in Lake Washington School District work on a Continuous Improvement Process (CIP) Plan. The data that is required to determine AYP status helps schools learn where to focus improvement efforts.
Parents of students in Title I schools also have the right to request information on the professional qualifications of their children’s classroom teacher and instructional assistants. If you are the parent of a student in a Title I school, simply make the request to the principal. In addition, if your child is assigned to or taught by a teacher who does not meet the standards to be “highly qualified” for four or more consecutive weeks, you will be notified.
The Lake Washington School Districts that receive federal Title I funding are:
- Bell Elementary School
- Einstein Elementary School
- Frost Elementary School
- Juanita Elementary School
- Keller Elementary School
- Muir Elementary School
- Redmond Elementary School
- Rose Hill Elementary School
In Improvement
In 2010-11, three schools in Lake Washington School District are In Improvement and receive Title I funds: Einstein Elementary, Muir Elementary and Redmond Elementary*.
Muir and Redmond Elementary Schools are in Step I of Improvement. These schools must offer families the opportunity to transfer their student to another school in the same district that is not identified for school improvement, known as Public School Choice. Transportation is provided for students from these schools whose families wish to take advantage of Public School Choice. The school must also revise its school improvement plan.
In 2009-10, 82 students used Public School Choice to transfer to another school. In 2010-11, 52 students transferred using Public School Choice. Students who took advantage of Public School Choice in 2010-11 transferred to Mann Elementary, Rockwell Elementary or Wilder Elementary.
Einstein Elementary is in Step II of Improvement. This school must continue to offer public school choice and must continue school improvement planning. It must also provide Supplemental Educational Services (SES) to low-achieving students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch. A list of approved SES providers for parents of Einstein students to review is available here.
* Redmond Elementary made AYP in 2009-10 but did not in 2007-08 and 2008-09. If it makes AYP a second year in a row, it will exit “improvement” status.