CONTACT Tim Bullis
Director, Community Relations
748-1433
Aug. 27, 2008

For immediate release

Chesterfield County Public Schools makes adequate yearly progress for third straight year

Chesterfield County Public Schools has again made adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind legislation. This is the third straight year and the fourth time in six years that the division has made adequate yearly progress toward the NCLB goal of 100 percent proficiency of all students in reading and mathematics by 2014.

“Chesterfield County Public Schools is an award-winning school division that continues to outperform the Virginia targets for No Child Left Behind.  We continue to show improvement and remain committed to narrowing achievement gaps, but work still remains to ensure all children have the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century. The strong partnership among our parents, teachers, students and community is vital to ensuring our continued success,” said Superintendent Marcus J. Newsome.

At the school level, 49 of Chesterfield’s 61 schools are classified as having made adequate yearly progress. To achieve AYP under No Child Left Behind, a school must meet 29 categories for student achievement. The 2007-08 No Child Left Behind benchmarks reflect a 4 percentage point increase in the passing rate now needed to meet the annual measurable objective. Last year, Chesterfield County Public Schools targeted 23 schools that might be in danger of not making adequate yearly progress, and more than half of those schools made AYP.

Falling short on just one category out of the 29 categories means that a school is classified as not making adequate yearly progress. Missing just one objective caused six Chesterfield schools to fall short this year, while two other schools missed two categories.

Chesterfield schools currently classified as not making adequate yearly progress are Davis Elementary, Ettrick Elementary, Gates Elementary, Chester Middle, Falling Creek Middle, Manchester Middle, Matoaca Middle, Perrymont Middle, Providence Middle, Chesterfield Community High, Matoaca High and Meadowbrook High.

Chesterfield County Public Schools is working with the Virginia Department of Education to correct data for some schools, which is expected to result in their status changing to making adequate yearly progress.

“We still have ground to cover, but Chesterfield County Public Schools is committed to having every school achieve AYP even as the bar continues to be raised each year,” Newsome said. “Academic success for every student is our top goal, and we are working strategically to move our students and schools forward.”

The school system is also instituting specific strategies to narrow achievement gaps:

• The school system will further implement specific Design for Excellence strategies established to narrow gaps.
• Schools will review and enhance school improvement plans.
• Principals will share best practice strategies for success with other school leaders.
• Principals will further analyze raw achievement data to identify areas where improvements can be made.

About AYP: AYP is an individual state’s measure of progress toward the goal of 100 percent of students achieving state academic standards in at least reading/language arts and math. It sets the minimum level of proficiency that the state, its school districts, and schools must achieve each year on annual tests and related academic indicators. 

Schools and school divisions that meet the annual measurable objectives in each of the 29 categories required by the federal education law are considered to have made adequate yearly progress toward the goal of 100 percent proficiency of all students in reading and mathematics by 2014.

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