Beaufort County School District continues growth toward adequate yearly progress
Beaufort County School District continues growth toward adequate yearly progress
The Beaufort County School District increased the number of schools meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for 2010 according to data released today by the South Carolina Department of Education as part of requirements of No Child Left Behind according to a School District press release.
Data are reported as percent of objectives met. The State reports the compliance index for each school and district. Beaufort County School District’s compliance index increased from 70% in 2008, 82% in 2009 and 91% in 2010.
The sixteen Beaufort County Schools meeting AYP this year is a substantial increase over the twelve schools making AYP in 2009 and four schools in 2008. Every elementary and middle school met all objectives or missed by one or two objectives. Ten schools posted a compliance index over 90%.
Schools that met AYP by meeting all objectives are: Broad River, Coosa, Daufuskie, James J. Davis, Shanklin, Lady’s Island, M.C. Riley, Mossy Oaks, Okatie, Port Royal, Red Cedar, Shell Point, St. Helena and Whale Branch Elementary Schools. Additionally, Riverview Charter School and Whale Branch Middle Schools met all objectives.
Although Beaufort County School District did not meet all objectives, the district continues to experience positive momentum. The district met 30 of the 33 objectives in 2010, an increase from 27 of 33 objectives in 2009 and 23 of 33 objectives in 2008.
NCLB uses an “all-or-nothing” rating system in which schools and districts must meet all targets in order to make Adequate Yearly Progress. Schools are identified as having met or not met all AYP performance objectives. Falling short on any objective means that a school or district fails to meet AYP.
NCLB requires schools and districts to report student achievement data into a number of student “subcategories” that include ethnicity, special education, poverty and limited ability with English. The more demographic categories a school has, the more goals it must meet.
Superintendent Dr. Valerie Truesdale stated, “Our district students, school leaders and teachers are to be commended for the significant increase in meeting 30 of 33 objectives. We are immensely proud of their focus on standards based instruction in all areas, especially in reading and mathematics. It is encouraging to note that Whale Branch Middle and St. Helena Elementary made AYP in 2009 and again in 2010. Now Whale Branch Elementary has also met AYP, indicating that the Accelerated Learning Schools interventions, which include extended learning time and intense instruction, are making a difference. Four schools (Broad River, Shanklin and St. Helena Elementary Schools plus Whale Branch Middle) met AYP two years in a row and are now out of Improvement status.” Chief Instructional Services Officer, Dr. Sean Alford stated, “This year’s growth is strong. However, next year’s AYP targets increase, so achievement goals will be much more difficult to reach.”
Next year, the percentage of South Carolina elementary and middle school students who must score proficient on math and English Language Arts tests in order to meet those goals will jump from about 58 percent to nearly 80 percent.
Related posts:
- Twelve of 27 Beaufort County schools meet “Adequate Yearly Progress” requirement
- News release: School “Adequate Yearly Progress” increases due to changes in testing
- School district announces “Topping Off Ceremony” for Whale Branch High School
- Editorial: Beaufort County School District ignores Riverview Charter School
- Get accurate student uniform chart here for Beaufort County’s public schools
