More Indiana schools meet progress goals

Sat, May 17 2008

— INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — More Indiana schools and districts met yearly federal benchmarks required under the No Child Left Behind law, according to Indiana Department of Education data released Tuesday.
About 54 percent of schools and 84 percent of districts met federal yearly progress goals in 2007 — an improvement over 2006.
Progress is determined not only on average state testing scores but on the performance of groups of students, such as minorities or those with disabilities.
Of the 846 schools that failed to meet progress goals in 2007, more than a third missed the mark in only one category, said Suellen Reed, the state’s superintendent for public instruction.
For example, Fort Wayne Community Schools said Lincoln Elementary would have made annual yearly progress if just one special education student had answered just one more test question correctly.
“These are teachers and parents and students who know there’s progress, but because they didn’t meet the bar because a fraction of a test was not achieved, they didn’t make AYP,” said Fort Wayne Superintendent Wendy Robinson.
Educators have long complained that the No Child Left Behind act, passed in 2001, treats schools the same no matter how close they come to meeting benchmarks. But a new federal pilot program will give 10 states the flexibility to assign different consequences to schools based on how far they are from goals. Indiana will apply, Reed said.
The pilot program will allow states to focus money and resources on “chronic underperforming schools” that need the most help, said Ray Simon, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.
“It allows the state, and in turn the school district, to concentrate on that core group and get them turned around,” said Simon, who was in Indianapolis to discuss the program.
Indiana has 229 schools in some phase of “improvement status” after failing to meet AYP for at least two years.
“About 50 of those schools really need intensive help,” Reed said. “If we can concentrate our resources and our efforts on those 50, then we’ll really be able to make some changes there.”
Indiana’s overall progress in 2007 was encouraging, Reed said. About 54 percent of schools and 84 percent of districts met AYP, compared to 52 percent of schools and 72 percent of districts in 2006.
“We’re pleased with that,” Reed said. “It’s not as much progress as we would really like, but we are headed in the right direction.”

Local results
Carroll Consolidated Y
Carroll Jr.-Sr. High Y
Carroll Elem. Y
Caston Y
Caston Elem. Y
Caston Jr.-Sr. High N
Delphi Community Y
Camden Elem. Y
Delphi Middle N
Delphi High Y
Delphi Elem. N
Eastern Pulaski Y
Eastern Pulaski Elem. Y
Winamac Middle N
Winamac High N
Logansport Community N
Logansport High N
Lincoln Middle N
Franklin Elem. Y
Fairview Elem. N
Landis Elem. N
Columbia Elem. N
Columbia Middle N
Pioneer Regional Y
Pioneer Jr.-Sr. High N
Pioneer Elem. Y
Southeastern Y
Galveston Elem. Y
Lewis Cass Jr.-Sr. High N
Thompson Elem. Y
For detailed results on the school ratings, visit the Indiana Department of Education Web site at www.doe.in.gov/ayp

The highlights
by The Associated Press
The federal No Child Left Behind Act includes consequences for public schools and districts that do not make “adequate yearly progress” and receive federal Title I funding, which is directed to schools with significant populations of poor students.
A look at some of the consequences of the 2007 adequate yearly progress during the 2008-2009 school year:
— Total number of Title I schools in “improvement status”: 229.
— Total number of Title I school districts in improvement status: 53.
— Level One (schools/districts that do not make AYP for two years): 82 schools, 19 districts. Must offer students the option to transfer to another public school.
— Level Two (no AYP for three years): 70 schools, 14 districts. Must offer school choice and supplemental educational services, such as tutoring.
— Level Three (no AYP for four years): 40 schools, 5 districts. Must offer school choice and supplemental educational services, and must take corrective actions such as extending the school year, replacing school staff or implementing a new curriculum.
— Level Four (no AYP for five years): 19 schools, 9 districts. Must develop a restructuring plan, which could include replacing the principal and staff, opening as a charter school or state takeover. Must also continue to offer school choice and supplemental educational services.
— Level Five and beyond (no AYP for six or more years): 18 schools, 6 districts. Must implement the restructuring plan created in level four. Those beyond level five are considered restructured and must consider improvement plans. Must also continue to offer school choice and supplemental educational services.
Source: Indiana Department of Education