Rome News-Tribune (Rome, GA)
July 22, 2011
Headline: No Rome or Floyd County high schools make AYP

By Lydia Senn

No high school in Rome or Floyd County achieved Adequate Yearly Progress during the 2010-2011 school year, each one missing the required 85-percent graduation rate.

Pepperell High was the only high school that did not appear on the needs improvement list because it made AYP last year.

Rome, Armuchee, and Coosa high schools were all placed in the "Needs Improvement" category because they failed to meet AYP for the second consecutive year.

The Georgia Department of Education incorrectly reported Thursday that Model High School was placed on the needs improvement list. While the school failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress, it made the designation last year. Schools are not placed on the needs improvement list unless they fail to make AYP for two consecutive years.

"I'm sure that's not just a local issue or a state issue, but a national issue," said Tim Hensley, assistant to the superintendent of Floyd County Schools, about the number of schools that failed to make AYP.

Both school systems as a whole also failed to meet AYP, but were not alone. The only school system in the region to meet the benchmark was Chickamauga City Schools in Walker County.

All elementary and middle schools in the city and county, with the exception of Pepperell Elementary and Pepperell Primary, met AYP.

The focus locally remains on high schools as the required graduation rate was bumped up from 80 percent to 85 percent.

Hensley said graduation percentage goals as set by the federal No Child Left Behind Act increase each year through 2014.

"That is the date when every school system is supposed to be at 100 percent," Hensley said.

Matt Cardoza, director of communications for the Georgia Department of Education, said those schools on the needs improvement list must choose between providing tutoring to students or allowing them school choice. He described school choice as sending students to another school that has met AYP at the expense of the school system.

Officials with both school systems are hopeful next year's goals will be met.

"We want all students to graduate prepared for college or work," said Gayland Cooper, superintendent of Rome City Schools. He called the AYP announcement a disappointment Thursday, stating he wants more students to take advantage of their high school education.

One of Cooper's goals is to make it harder for students to drop out of high school.

"We need to let them know they can be successful here," he said.

Rome City reached a 77-percent graduation rate this year. Cooper said once summer school numbers were added those numbers would increase to 78 percent.

"I'm not going to be happy until we get to 80 percent, 85 percent, 90 percent and beyond," Cooper said.

On the county level, the system is implementing the Floyd County Performance Learning Center. The program will allow about 30 students to learn in a smaller, less traditional setting.

Among the Floyd County high schools, Armuchee was the closest to reaching this year's 85-percent graduation goal with 82.5 percent of seniors receiving a diploma. Armuchee also saw a big increase from last year's rate of 77.9 percent.

Pepperell High follows behind Armuchee High with 81.9 percent, up more than 1 percent from last year.

Lowest on the list were Model High with 75.6 percent, down from 87 percent, and Coosa High with 70.3, percent down from 79.9 percent.