According to a report issued this morning by the VA Dept. of Education, all of the neighborhood schools met the adequate yearly progress (AYP) standards of No Child Left Behind this year, in contrast to 75% statewide and 85% across the city.

For a school or school division to make AYP under the federal education law, it must meet or exceed separate requirements and objectives. A school or school division that falls short on a single requirement or objective is not considered to have made AYP.

These requirements include objectives for participation in testing in reading and mathematics, achievement in these subjects, and attendance (ES and middle schools) or graduation (high schools). A minimum of 95 percent of students overall must participate in reading and mathematics testing, and 95 percent of students in each of the following subgroups also must take state assessments in these two subjects: white, black, Hispanic, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students, and students with limited English proficiency. Students may be counted in more than one subgroup. Students overall and in each subgroup must meet the annual measurable objectives (AMO) for proficiency in reading and mathematics or reduce the failure rates on tests in reading and mathematics by at least ten percent. Schools and school divisions also must meet annual objectives for progress on other indicators of academic achievement.