TWO LIVERMORE SCHOOLS IN THE FIRST YEAR OF "PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT"

By McKinley Day

FIVE LIVERMORE SCHOOLS FAILED TO MEET THEIR ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS TARGETS.

The AYP is part of NCLB and takes into account API scores, scores on other standardized tests such as California High School Exit Exam, and scores of subgroups such as non-English speakers and socioeconomically disadvantage, among other measures. A school needs to meet all of the measures to meet their AYP.

For the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District, the 2005/06 Academic Performance Index (API) results contained mostly good news but some bad. the Districtwide API score was 782, up seven points over the prievious year and well above the state-wide average of 720.

However, five schools - Altamont Creek, Portola, Marylin Avenue, East Avenue, and Junction Avenue - failed to meet their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) targets. Marylin Avenue and Portola Elementary Schools lost API points this year. Marylin's API dropped by 7 points to 662 while Portola's score dropped by 24 points to 683. If a school fails to meet AYP for two years in a row, the school moves into "Program Improvement (PI). Portola and Marylin are both in the first year of "Program Improvement,"

Both schools met their school wide API targets, but failed to meet several subgroup targets. Marylin's English Learner and Hispanic/Latino subgroups did not meet federal english/Language Arts and math targets. Socioeconomically disadvantaged subgroup did not meet math targets, and English Learners did not meet English/Language arts targets. Portola's English Learners and Hispanic/Latino subgroups did not meet federal English /Language Arts targets.

Junction and East Avenue Middle Schools met all of their school-wide proficiency and participation targets in all areas but did not meet their AYP goals, because of subgroup performance. At Junction, English Learners, Hispanic/Latino, and Socioeconomically disadvantaged subgroups did not meet English/Language Arts targets, but did meet math targets. At East Avenue School, Hispanic/Latino and Socioeconomically disadvantaged subgroups did not meet math targets, and English Learners did not meet English/Language Arts targets.

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) Concept Behind AYP:

Establish clear goals for student learning, Measure whether students are reaching them, Hold educators accountable for raising student achievement. Where schools consistently fail to meet expectations, states Must take strong action to ensure goals are met.

Each state must set a specific score on its tests that indicates whether students at different grade levels are `proficient' in language arts and math.

What does it mean to be Proficient for NCLB? Proficient is another way of saying that the student got what the state has determined is a passing score on the state test.

How this all plays out for a school...?

In Year One: You're going about your business as usual.

In Year Two: You find out you've not made AYP for the previous school year. NO CONSEQUENCES for one "off" year, but it's an opportunity for schools to use AYP data to identify areas that need attention.

In Year Three: "Needs Improvement." You've now not made AYP for two consecutive years. School must develop improvement plan. Students are eligible to transfer to higher performing public schools. (Title I funds pay for transfers.)

In Year Four: District must provide "supplemental services" to low income students. (Title I funds pay for supplemental services.)

In Year Five: Corrective Action Right to transfer and supplemental services continues. District and school must implement at least one, but not all of the following: Replace the school staff who are "relevant to the failure to make AYP." Institute a new curriculum, including appropriate professional development. "Significantly decrease management authority" at the school level. Appoint an outside expert to advise the school. Extend the school year or the school day for the school. Restructure the school's internal organizational structure.

In Year Six: Plan for Restructuring Develop an alternate governance plan, in case you don't make AYP again this year.

In Year Seven: Restructuring Implement alternate governance plan if you didn't make AYP the previous year.

NOTE: Just as it takes two consecutive years of not making AYP to be identified as needing improvement; it takes two consecutive years of making AYP to get out of the improvement process.