GUILFORD COUNTY – Although nearly 60 percent of the district’s schools met Adequate Yearly Progress goals in 2010, it was not enough to prevent an 8-point drop from last year.

Across the district, 71.6 percent of elementary schools, 38.1 percent of middle schools and 45.8 percent of high schools made AYP goals for an average of 59.5 percent, according to preliminary results released Wednesday.

Among local elementary schools, Fairview, Florence, Jamestown, Montlieu and Oak Hill made AYP targets to reduce the number of schools missing the mark to four. Millis Road Elementary was among 10 schools that met AYP for the eighth year in a row.

AYP is a federal standard required by the No Child Left Behind Act. The pass-fail scores are based on end-of-grade and end-of-course testing. To meet AYP, schools must reach target goals for all subgroups that include 40 or more students in a school. The subgroups include students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, the disabled, students who speak little English and students of specific racial or ethnic groups.

Title I schools that do not make AYP in the same subject area for two or more consecutive years face sanctions including supplemental educational services – or free tutoring – for qualifying students and public school choice.

Although 88 of 113 regular schools made positive gains on the tests in 2010, the district AYP score was down from last year when 68 percent of schools made their targets, the highest number since the measure was established in 2003.

The number of protected testing groups dropped to make an AYP boost this year difficult, said Guilford County Schools Superintendent Mo Green.

“After last year’s bump in the AYP results due in part to safe harbor, we knew we would face challenges this year,” Green said. “While we made positive progress in the overall number of students who passed the tests, and made significant gains with lower performing schools and narrowed achievement gaps, we must continue to push forward and make sure we are raising the academic achievement of all of our students. As a result, we have plenty of work ahead of us.”

In 2009, 27.1 percent of subgroups that made AYP depended on safe harbor protection for attendance rate and graduation rates and a 10 percent reduction in the number of students not proficient in a subject area. Only 12.8 percent of the subgroups that made 2010 AYP depended on safe harbor.

Among local middle schools, only Jamestown and Welborn made AYP. Only the traditional High Point Central and Southern high school programs made their AYP goals.

dnivens@hpe.com | 888-3626