| Two of the three Calhoun County
schools met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for 2006-07 under the
federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, according to
Calhoun County Superintendent Jane Lynch.
Calhoun High School (which includes Calhoun Middle) did not measure up to NCLB standards for Special Education Students in math and reading and in the Socio-Economic Status group (students eligible for free and reduced lunch) in reading assessment.
Arnoldsburg and Pleasant Hill elementary schools met the NCLB standards.
Lynch said part of the problem with special education is "We don't have enough identified students in those groups to meet the criteria."
Only five schools in the State of West Virginia met all the NCLB criteria. Gilmer and Wirt met the standards because their student enrollment is low, and some of the standards did not apply.
Calhoun's graduation rate is showing great
improvement. In 2006 the rate was 72.5% and in
2007 is 80.7%. NCLB requires an 80% graduation rate.
"We have work to do at Calhoun Middle School to improve math and reading results," said Lynch.
The standards that a school must achieve to meet
AYP are increasing. The increase in standards is
mandated by the federal government so that 100
percent of students meet the NCLB proficient
level by 2014.
West Virginia Achieves, the state's NCLB
accountability plan, focuses on closing the
achievement gap between student subgroups.
All
West Virginia students are required to take the
West Virginia Educational Standards Test
(WESTEST), an assessment that measures student
achievement.
Average Yearly Progress (AYP) is
determined by WESTEST scores and attendance or
graduation rates.
Another upward trend in the county's NCLB data
includes an increase in both Reading and Math
scores at Pleasant Hill and Arnoldsburg elementary.
"I believe that NCLB has helped educators focus
on the improvement of all children, and believe
we need to ensure all children progress,"
Lynch said. "but we recognize that schools need
to also focus on quality instruction and that
means embedding 21st century skills into all that
we teach."
"While NCLB has played an important role in
closing the achievement gap, we want to be sure
to keep an academic emphasis on the quality of
education."
For more information about West Virginia Achieves
and the 2007 AYP numbers, visit the West Virginia
Department of Education web site wvde.state.wv.us
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