9 of 25 Rockingham County schools made Adequate Yearly Progress

By Heather Smith

Published: July 23, 2008

Rockingham County schools’ Adequate Yearly Progress as measured by federal No Child Left Behind law found that 37.5 percent, or nine out of the district’s 25 schools, met their goals in 2007-08.

To achieve AYP, a school must achieve all of its goals, as determined by NCLB. Each goal represents a subgroup of the student population. NCLB divides students into 10 basic categories: white, black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, multiracial, economically disadvantaged, limited English proficiency, students with disabilities, and the school as a whole.

To achieve a goal, each student in a subgroup must test as proficient in either reading or math.

One student may fall into several categories. When one student’s test scores exceed or fall behind NCBL requirements, the student is counted as an entry into each category he or she falls into.

The number meeting AYP is down from last year, when 11 schools met a series of state and federally established standards.

Results are preliminary until the state Board of Education approves them next month, and they measure only math and not reading scores, which may be available in November.

Terry Worrell, assistant superintendent of curriculum, said parents should not panic if their child’s school did not meet AYP. Some schools have up to 19 subgroups, each required to score as proficient before the school can claim all goals reached.

Worrell said the state’s accountability system, the ABCs, is a better indicator of a school’s quality.

“We measure through growth, and we look at growth to gauge how much a school has improved,” Worrell said. Growth is defined by North Carolina’s ABC standards, which are released in September.

All district schools displayed growth, Worrell pointed out, and some grew well despite having multiple targets to achieve.

“Holmes Middle School had 18 targets and met them all,” Worrell said. “That really is outstanding.”

• Staff writer Heather J. Smith can be reached at or 349-4331, ext. 16.

Schools that made AYP in 2007-08

8Bethany Elementary School - 10 goals

8Central Elementary School - 13 goals

8Douglass Elementary School - 15 goals

8Holmes Middle School - 18 goals

8Lawsonville Avenue Elementary School - 10 goals

8Lincoln Elementary School - 10 goals

8Monroeton Elementary School - 10 goals

8South End Elementary School - 13 goals

8Stoneville Elementary School - 13 goals

For the complete list, visit http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/