Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee) July 23, 2009

HEADLINE: 55 of 80 area schools pass federal measure

By Kelli Gauthier

Almost all Southeast Tennessee school systems, including Hamilton County, have made progress on federal benchmarks of the No Child Left Behind law, according to figures released Wednesday.

But Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Jim Scales admits his district took some steps backward in elementary and middle school achievement, according to the state Department of Education's Adequate Yearly Progress report. The system also faces its biggest hurdle in addressing a continually faltering graduation rate, he said.

"With all the things we may accomplish this year, that is going to loom in the background," Dr. Scales said Wednesday during a news conference at East Side Elementary School. "That graduation rate is dragging us down."

Seven of eight Hamilton County high schools not making AYP this year failed to do so because they did not meet the 90 percent graduation rate target. In all, 25 of the district's 80 schools did not make adequate yearly progress in 2009, and 11 of those are on the state's high-priority list for failing to make it two years in a row. Last year, 17 schools did not make AYP.

Hamilton County scores took a 1 percentage point drop in both K-8 math and reading, which Dr. Scales said can be attributed partly to difficulties in meeting the needs of poor and minority students, as well as those with disabilities.

"If we had not fumbled at the district level, our results would have been phenomenal," he said.

The Georgia Department of Education released statewide AYP results last week. Both states will release a report card, a more comprehensive look at academic achievement No Child Left Behind benchmarks, later this year.

Each year, each state releases a list of schools and school systems that have made adequate yearly progress, a measure of whether students are making academic progress on standardized tests.

AYP is required under the federal No Child Left Behind law, with the requirement that 100 percent of students must score proficient on these tests in both math and reading by the year 2014. Each year, the target score in each category gets higher, and whether a school or system meets those goals determines their AYP status.

If, for two years in a row, a school or school system fails to make progress in any of the academic benchmarks or its attendance and graduation rates, they are placed on the state's high-priority list and are subject to a graduated list of consequences, including staff and administrative changes.

A school or system must make progress in an area for two years in a row to be removed from the list.

Also, the state highlights schools and systems that are "targeted" after the first year they fail to make adequate yearly progress.

For the first time since the No Child Left Behind law went into effect in 2002, East Side Elementary moved off the high-priority list and is in good standing.

"The weight of the world feels like it's off our shoulders," said East Side principal Emily Baker. "And we know we're not getting back on that list."

STATE RESULTS

Tennessee has more individual schools on the state's high-priority list than last year, but fewer school districts with the same designation. The state has 146 schools that now have failed to make AYP for two years in a row, up from 134 the year before.

Four school districts -- Davidson, Bedford and Madison counties, as well as Murfreesboro City -- also are on the high-priority list, down from five the previous year.

The state also has doubled the number of school systems on its target list from seven last year to 15 this year.

Locally, Bradley and McMinn county school systems were the only in Southeast Tennessee that failed to make AYP. They are now on the state's target list but will not be subject to any state corrective action unless they fail to make progress again next year.

Cleveland and Polk County high schools, as well as Sequatchie Middle and High schools all are on the high-priority list for missing the adequate yearly progress mark two years in a row.

Sequatchie County Director of Schools Johnny Cordell said his district's high school faces a similar problem to Hamilton County with its graduation rate.

Although the school made its AYP graduation benchmark, it remains on the high-priority list unless it can make similar progress again next year, according to state Department of Education spokeswoman Amanda Anderson.

Beginning in August, Tennessee will roll out new, more rigorous academic standards for its public schools. Next year's AYP results will reflect schools' efforts to meet NCLB benchmarks while students are taking harder classes and tests.

Officials said they are preparing for the worst.

"We're all worried about the test result scores for next year, but this year is a success," said Dr. Connie Smith, the state's executive director of accountability, teaching and learning.

Dr. Tim Webb, Tennessee's education commissioner, called the No Child Left Behind Law and AYP effective tools for highlighting change. The AYP release is the first step toward improving education, he said.

"This is Day One -- we now know where we are," he said. "The job now is to roll up our sleeves and go to work ... so that this time next year we're prepared to have the same conversation, but hopefully see improvement in schools and school systems across the state."