09/19/11 GREENWICH BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESS RELEASE: 2011 AYP Summary & Requirements

The AYP results were released today.

See attached for packet that will be added to the Board's agenda for discussion at the 9/22/11 meeting.

--
Kim Eves
Director of Communications
Greenwich Public Schools
290 Greenwich Avenue
Greenwich, CT, 06830

www.greenwichschools.org

Phone: 203-625-7415
Fax: 203-869-8003
kim_eves@greenwich.k12.ct.us

Greenwich Public Schools

No Child Left Behind Act

Adequate Yearly Progress for the 2010-2011 School Year

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) is the recent reauthorization of the original

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The primary function of NCLB is to close the achievement gap between groups of students by requiring greater accountability and offering increased flexibility and choice. States are required to determine annually if every school and district is making adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward reaching the goal, by 2014, of having 100 percent of their student population scoring at or above the Proficient level in mathematics and reading on their state standardized assessments. Schools and districts that continually fail to make AYP are faced with specific interventions mandated by NCLB.

To determine if Connecticut’s schools and districts have made AYP, the following three

components must be examined:

1. the percent at or above Proficient on the math and reading sections of the Connecticut

Mastery Test (CMT) and/or the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT);

2. the participation rate on the math and reading CMT and/or CAPT; and

3. an additional academic indicator, which, for high schools is the graduation rate and for

elementary and middle schools is the percent at or above Basic on the writing portion of

the CMT.

Districts that do not make AYP for two consecutive years with the same student subgroup in the same subject area on both CMT and CAPT are identified as “in need of improvement.” Schools that do not make AYP for two consecutive years with the same subgroup in the same subject area and in the same grade span are identified as “in need of improvement.” Minimum

subgroup size is forty students.

Based on the spring 2011 administration of CMT and CAPT, the Greenwich Public Schools as a

district and all schools met criteria two (2) and three (3).

The district and six schools did not make AYP based on criteria one (1).

Schools or districts designated as being in “Safe Harbor” did not make adequate yearly progress

the previous year but showed significant improvement in the current year. A school or district in “Safe Harbor” that does not make adequate year progress in the following year moves to the next level of improvement (e.g. from not achieved to year improvement 1 or from year improvement 1 to year improvement 2).

Eligible students and priority criteria for public school choice:

All students enrolled in Title I schools identified as “in need of improvement” Year 1 and beyond are eligible for public school choice. If the district anticipates that it will not have sufficient funds to transport all eligible students, the district must give the lowest-achieving, low-income students priority regarding transportation to their school of choice. The district must consistently use “fair and equitable” criteria in determining which students are the lowest-achieving students and should use professional judgment in applying those criteria. District provision of transportation is subject to cost limits.

Schools that can receive students:

A parent/guardian must be given the option to transfer their child to another public school within the district. The district must offer more than one school of choice to eligible students if more than one school is available as a choice option. Any school offered as a choice may not be presently identified as “in need of improvement” or “persistently dangerous.” Charter and magnet schools within the boundaries of the district may also be included as transfer options if agreed upon by the district and the charter/magnet school. However, districts cannot disregard entrance requirements such as a lottery when identifying transfer options for students.

Note: Funds transferred to Title I under the transferability provisions increase the base to be used in calculating the “amount equal to 20 percent” of a district’s Title I allocation to determine required expenditures for choice-related transportation. For example, if your district is transferring other federal funds (such as Title IIA or V) into Title I to support transportation costs, then the base figure will need to include the additional funds and your 20 percent financial obligation will be proportionally increased.

==============================
Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com