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Last month, the state math and reading scores were released and area schools fared well.

This week, the state released the 2008 data regarding Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and some schools didn’t measure up.

Schools in Alexandria School District 206 – as a whole – scored higher in both reading and math proficiency than the state averages and are making excellent progress toward AYP proficiency targets, according to a news release sent out by the district on Tuesday.

AYP is a means of measuring, through standards and assessments, the achievement of the No Child Left Behind goal of 100 percent proficient by the year 2014. AYP is structured to ensure that all children have the opportunity to obtain a high quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.

Each building in School District 206 receives a school report card based on student achievement using the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment II test results. The report is based on overall school performance and for the performance of various student subgroups within a school population.

All students in a school – including nine different subgroups of students based on race/ethnicity, economically disadvantaged, limited English proficiency and students with disabilities – must meet AYP target goals.

A school is considered not achieving AYP if students in any one of these subgroups are not proficient in reading or math.

Plus, each year, the level for making AYP is raised.

All schools in the district made AYP, except one subgroup at the middle school.

Discovery Middle School met AYP targets in all areas except special education reading proficiency.

“Discovery Middle School factors the AYP report along with other achievement information into our existing school improvement process,” said principal Matt Aker. “We have implemented a comprehensive reading intervention program as an additional tool to help students struggling in the area of reading proficiency and will monitor and adjust according to the needs of these students.”

Special education services are available to students if they identified with one or more of the following disabling conditions that may keep them from making education progress:

• Speech difficulties.
• Physical impairments.
• Medical conditions.
• Traumatic brain injury.
• Visual or hearing impairments.
• Autism.
• Learning impairments.
• Mild to severe cognitive impairments.
• Behavioral and/or emotional impairments.

“The entire district has a belief that each student is capable of learning,” said Julie Critz, District 206 director of teaching and learning. “As a system, we’re committed to moving forward and getting better every year. Each school has curriculum, programs and a school improvement action plan that supports that belief.”

http://www.echopress.com/articles/index.cfm?id=58036