FROM STAFF REPORTS

The Shelby County School District made its Adequate Yearly Progress goals after failing to do so last year.

Spain Park High, Berry Middle and Greystone Elementary in the Hoover City School System also made all of their AYP goals, according to the Alabama Department of Education’s website.

However, five Shelby County schools failed to make their AYP goals, according to a Shelby County Schools press release.

The five schools are the Linda Nolen Learning Center, Oak Mountain Middle, Shelby County High, Thompson Intermediate and Thompson Middle.

Thompson Middle and Thompson Intermediate both missed reading proficiency for special education students. Oak Mountain Middle and Thompson Intermediate also missed math proficiency for special education students. Shelby County High did not make AYP goals for reading proficiency for all students and for free and reduced lunch students. The Linda Nolen Learning Center did not make its AYP goals for the graduation rate.

“No Child Left Behind standards require that all students achieve proficiency regardless of their capacity to learn,” Superintendent Randy Fuller said in the press release. “We have high expectations for all children and our goal is to improve their capacity to learn, but we also must recognize that some of our students have more challenges than others.”

Fuller also said he was concerned that larger schools and districts will continue to have problems making AYP under No Child Left Behind.

Currently, schools are required to meet state goals in reading and math proficiency and participation for all subgroups of students, such as those who receive free or reduced lunch or in special education. Schools must also meet state goals in attendance rate for elementary, intermediate and middle schools and graduation rates for high schools.

Fuller said in the press release that the district already has a process in place to evaluate and improve the schools.

“Through our Continuous School Improvement (CSI) process, we are increasing the quality of education for all students and changing their lives by developing specific strategies to meet their individual needs,” he said.

The CSI process has already been implemented in local schools, said Dr. Elizabeth Davis, school improvement specialist for Shelby County Schools.

To address the issue of special education, specialists have been assigned to each school. Specialized reading and math programs have also been implemented, in addition to programs and support with federal and local funds.

Thompson Intermediate, which failed to make AYP for two years, enters School Improvement Status, Year 1. The Linda Nolen Center, which serves students with special needs, enters School Improvement Status, Year 4.

However, the Linda Nolen Center did see some improvement over the previous year.

“While the Linda Nolen Center is still in school improvement due to (its) graduation rate, it is important to point out and to celebrate the fact that (it) made improvement in both reading and math proficiency,” she said in the pres release. “That is proof that our school improvement plans are working there.”