Adequate Yearly Progress
Under the No Child Left Behind federal legislation, each school and district must show that students are moving toward proficiency in math and reading. The goal is to have 100% of all students proficient in math and reading by 2014. This legislation is currently being discussed for reauthorization in Congress.
Each Spring, students in grades 3-8 participate in the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP.) This is a standardized test, aligned to the state content standards, that assesses how each student is doing in math, reading, social studies and science. These tests are sent to the state to be scored and student proficiency is measured against a state identified benchmark.
Students in grades 9-12 are measured based on their proficiency on the state Gateway Exam in Algebra, English and Biology. Students must also pass these tests to graduate and receive a regular diploma.
Student scores on these tests is what determines if a school or district "makes" AYP. Schools who do not make their projected AYP are labeled as follows:
- Target - first year not making AYP in multiple areas or not making AYP in just one subject
- School Improvement I - second year not making AYP
- School Improvement II - third year not making AYP
- Restructuring I - fourth year of not making AYP
- Restructuring II - fifth year of not making AYP
- LEA Reconstitution - sixth year of not making AYP
- LEA Restructuring - seventh year of not making AYP
- LEA Restructuring/state takeover - eighth year of not making AYP
Schools and districts who DO NOT make AYP for two consecutive years go on the state's High Priority List (School Improvement I+). Schools/districts on the High Priority list must make AYP for two consecutive years to come off the list.
Schools who do not make AYP participate in paired schools. These schools are paired with a school elsewhere in the district that is not on the High Priority List. Students in these schools can opt to transfer to their paired school. Paired schools are at the discretion of the local school district and are typically not determined until September of each year.
2009 AYP Progress Report