While eight county schools and, therefore, the school system did not meet Adequate Yearly Progress standards in 2009, AYP results don’t mean those schools aren’t providing good education, say school officials.

Actually, only subgroups of students in the eight schools didn’t meet standards, not the student population as a whole.

The subgroup Students With Disabilities, formerly known as special education, didn’t score high enough to meet AYP requirements at Baggett and Roberts elementaries and Jones and South Paulding middle schools.

Four high schools also didn’t make AYP. The African-American subgroups at East Paulding and South Paulding didn’t score high enough, and the economically disadvantaged subgroups at Hiram and Paulding County also fell short.

Paulding County High School also didn’t make the grade in the percentage of students graduating, an AYP “second indicator.” But AYP standards are rising every year through 2014, when all Georgia students are expected to be performing at grade level. Last year, 70 percent of high school students must have graduated to pass the second indicator; that percentage rose to 75 percent this year, and PCHS graduated more than 74 percent, just missing the mark.

Schools not making AYP in the same subject area for two years are placed on the Needs Improvement list and parents can choose a different school if space is available. East Paulding and Austin middle schools made AYP for the second consecutive year and were removed from the Needs Improvement list, which now includes Paulding County and East Paulding high schools and Jones and South Paulding middle schools.

If there is room, PCHS and EPHS students can transfer to Hiram or North Paulding high schools, and Jones and South Paulding students can transfer to Scoggins, the county’s newest middle school.

Schools also can fail to meet AYP if less than 95 percent of eligible students are tested, and all of Paulding’s schools had at least 95 percent participation.

AYP uses CRCT (Criterion Referenced Competency Test) results from third through fifth and sixth through eighth grades and the Georgia High School Graduation Test taken by 11th-graders. Eleventh-graders must score 500 to pass the graduation test, while AYP requires a score of 516 to pass, so more juniors passed the graduation test than AYP because of the 16-point difference.

In 2007-2008, 19 of Paulding’s schools made AYP, 10 didn’t and five were on the Needs Improvement list. In 2008-2009, 22 schools met AYP, eight didn’t and four are on the Needs Improvement list.

When the general student population meets AYP standards and a subgroup doesn’t, “it makes it appear the school is failing, and that’s not a true statement,” said Yvette Hill, assistant superintendent for school improvement. “There’s just not enough improvement in all areas, but it does appear that we’re not doing the job we’re doing. We have wonderful teachers or we would not be making the improvements we are.”

And the bar keeps rising to get students statewide closer to the 2014 goal of everyone at grade level. AMO (Annual Measurable Objective) minimums will rise next year in math as the state raises the bar incrementally.

The Paulding County School System has identified its AYP areas of need as math and reading/English/language arts (ELA) for students with disabilities at all grade levels and enhanced math and ELA for economically disadvantaged and African-American high school students.

The students with disabilities (SWD) subgroup is at risk every year, “and we’re looking at federal stimulus money to support that,” said Hill.

Stimulus money is being used to hire additional educators to work with the SWD subgroup, with Title 1 (greater numbers of economically disadvantaged students with free and reduced-price lunches) providing five math coaches at high schools who will also work with their feeder schools. Title 1 is providing two reading interventionists, and a transition coach at the high school level will help SWD toward graduation.

Hill said stimulus funds also will help purchase additional resources and materials.

“We’re working toward inclusion” with SWD teachers co-teaching in regular classroom. Students with disabilities will have special education support as they tackle the regular classroom curriculum, said Hill.

In its plan to reduce AYP deficiencies, the school system plans to:

• hire reading and math interventionists to work with at-risk students and teachers;

• hire a transition coach to work with students with disabilities;

• hire an intervention specialist to work with students at risk;

• provide diversity training for all schools;

• customize professional learning to meet the needs of the school;

• continue to give benchmark assessments and conduct data reviews;

• continue to refine the RTI process;

• continue focus walks;

• continue to refine and enhance co-teaching practices;

• continue the work of the graduation coaches/Mission Possible;

• continue to use best practices/needs based instruction;

• continue to provide support from the central office.

“We want to identify the students that are struggling and provide another layer of support,” said Hill. “The numbers won’t change unless we know who the kids are.”

The new pyramid of intervention has Quality Core Curriculum as the first layer; early intervention through Title 1 teachers, tutoring and extra help as the second layer; individualized help, specific tutoring and on-line programs as the third layer; and SWD services as the fourth layer.

“By 2014, our goal is to be at 100 percent,” said Superintendent Larry Ragsdale as Hill presented AYP results at a recent Board of Education meeting.

“I would like to see us educate parents more about AYP,” said board Chair Kathy West. “I talk with more parents about AYP than anything else.”

“Why are we not gaining as much as the state regarding students with disabilities?” asked board member Kim Cobb. “Is it possible that attendance is an issue since our students might have to travel more due to lack of facilities in our county?”

“We are using some of the new staff members to look at the reasons we are not gaining as much,” said Ragsdale. “Teacher absences can also be a problem, with an average of 12 days per year that teachers are out, and four are in professional learning. If we can provide more on-line training at their desktop, we can reduce the days out of the classroom.”

Hill said her conclusion about this year’s AYP results is that “all schools and teachers are working very hard to make a difference for our kids. We’ve spent days identifying the areas of need, and we’re working with students and channeling resources to address those needs.

“We have to be mindful that AMO will continue to rise and we have to double our effort. I think our people are willing and ready to do that. They believe in our kids.

“Unfortunately, [with AYP results] it appears we’re not doing a good job, and we are. I encourage everyone to come observe some classes.

“The No Child Left Behind Act [from which AYP emanated] brought to light areas everybody needs to work on. It also needs to consider what individual children need.”

(Tom Morris contributed to this report)