Act sets standards for districts, Title I funds
By GEORGIA PURDY Newsboy Correspondent

The No Child Left Behind Act, signed into law by President Bush on Jan. 8, 2002 established accountability standards that formerly applied only to districts and campuses receiving Title I funds. Now, all public school districts, schools, and states are evaluated annually for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

All students, and African American, Hispanic, White, economically disadvantaged, special education, and limited English proficiency (LEP) student groups must meet the same performance and participation standards.

Furthermore, missing AYP two years in a row on the same indicator triggers Title I School Improvement Requirements, and once a district or campus reaches that stage, they must meet AYP for two years in a row to get out of School Improvement requirements.

Rowe Intermediate School for the 2007 TAKS assessment due to less than 60 percent of the special education population receiving a proficient rating on the TAKS reading test.

Jasper Junior High School African American population performed at 42 percent, two percent above the state standard; however, six percent AYP improvement was required from 2006 to 2007, and JJHS made five percent improvement.

Jasper High School had two sub groups who failed to meet standard improvement in math: African American and economically disadvantaged students in grades 9-11. African American students dropped 17 percent from 2006 to 2007.