The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) sets school accountability targets that are measured by Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).These targets increase overtime, with the goal of 100 percent student proficiency in the areas of reading and math by 2014.

Schools must make AYP for all students, including those in four identified sub-groups, ranging from race, socio-economic status, English language learners, and students with disabilities.Schools must have at least 40 students in each sub-group in order for AYP to be measured.

A school, or school district, that doesn’t meet AYP for two consecutive years for the same sub-group and subject enters “School Improvement” status, requiring specific actions that must be taken to improve student achievement.If AYP isn’t met for four consecutive years for the same sub-group and subject, the school, or school district, enters “Corrective Action,” and the Commissioner of Education recommends to the State Board of Education improvement steps specific to that school.After two years of meeting AYP, schools are no longer in the “School Improvement” status.Each school needs to reach 100 percent student proficiency in reading and math by 2014.

Student proficiency is measured by the reading and math scores from the fall 2010 New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP), which measures students’ academic knowledge and skills.The Vermont Department of Education uses the NECAP results to make AYP decisions.

According to the NECAP results, 80 percent of students throughout Chittenden Central Supervisory Union (CCSU), which includes the Essex Junction, Westford, and Union #46 school districts, scored “proficient” or above in reading.

Even though reading scores have remained steady, the Essex Junction School District (EJSD) as a whole, along with Albert D. Lawton (ADL), Fleming, and Essex High School (EHS), did not meet AYP for reading.This is the third year EJSD did not meet AYP for students with disabilities and for those participating in the free and reduced lunch program.ADL, Fleming, and EHS did not meet AYP only for students participating in the free and reduced lunch program.

According to the NECAP results, 72 percent of CCSU students throughout CCSU scored “proficient” or above in the area of math; improving steadily over the past several years.However, EJSD did not meet AYP in this subject for students with disabilities, students receiving free and reduced lunch, and for students who are white.As a result, EJSD is now in “Corrective Action,” and will take more rigorous steps to improve achievement scores.EHS, Fleming and ADL are in their first year of not meeting AYP for students receiving free and reduced lunch (ADL was also identified in the white student sub-group).

“The ideals of NCLBA are wonderfully audacious.Our community is justifiably proud of continued growth in NECAP scores,” CCSU Superintendent Michael Deweese said.“Yet, it’s not enough for us to generalize school results, but to dig more deeply into individual students and student sub-group scores.These data are important to our schools as our educators strive to meet the needs of all learners.”

For more information about curriculum, instruction, assessment, NECAP and AYP, visit http://www.ccsuvt.org/curriculum-instruction-and-assessment/.