In its simplest form, AYP stands for Adequate Yearly Progress. It is a measurement of student performance set by each state to fulfill a federal mandate. The ultimate goal is that every child performs at or above “grade level” in reading and math by 2014.
The number of goals a school or school system has to reach changes, and the number of students that must score “proficient” increases. For example, in 2009 the goal was that 56 percent of sixth grade students be proficient in mathematics. This year the goal was 74 percent. Next year’s goal is 83 percent. Every system must hit 100 percent of these moving targets to make AYP each year.
In Montgomery County this year we had 843 targets to hit. We made 817 (97 percent) of those targets. On most grading scales making 97 percent is a positive thing. It is an A or an A+ in every classroom in America. In AYP terms it is an F. In its current form, AYP is a pass/fail model. You make a 100 or a zero – there is nothing in between.

AYP forces schools to look at subgroups of students by their classifications of poverty, race and disability. That is a good thing. Until No Child Left Behind (NCLB) educators often forgot about individuals and even whole demographic groups as long as the system’s “average” was acceptable. Under NCLB every student counts. A small group of students can make the difference between success and failure.

Our work lies with our children who come from impoverished homes and our special education students. Several other counties in our area did not make AYP for similar reasons. In fact, our scores for these students are in line with the state average. We are not alone in our fight to help these students. Data analyzed by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama shows our students outperformed systems in Tuscaloosa County, Birmingham City, and Elmore County.

No, our 97 percent did not earn us an AYP gold star, but we did show marked improvement over last year in most of our categories. We have been making great strides with area we have been targeting. This is especially true in our middle grades where two of our four traditional schools made AYP this year and a third made impressive gains. Our students who do not have English as their first language made great improvements.

When 2014 arrives, unless the AYP requirements change, we will certainly hit an academic brick wall and not make AYP – along with nearly every other school system in America. One hundred percent is an admirable target, but an impractical one. A better measurement would be to look at student academic development over time and judge progress based on where a student begins. In education terms it would be called a growth model.

There is change on the horizon for schools in Alabama and across the nation. Some of it will likely reshape our ideas about traditional education. Let us hope that our leaders in Washington and Montgomery find a way to challenge and assist those who need it and reward advancement in our education system. Until then, we will continue to do our best to improve student achievement under the current rules and continue to strive toward the challenge of obtaining and maintaining AYP.