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Six schools not meeting state’s standards

By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com

Coweta County parents have a decision to make next week.

On Monday, the state announced the yearly results of the No Child Left Behind program. The results were a mixed bag for the Coweta County School System.

In a press release sent out by the school system this week, the system states that all Coweta County schools achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on academic measures within their overall school populations.

However, six schools had one or more specific areas identified as not meeting AYP.

The six schools are Poplar Road Elementary School, Arnall Middle School, East Coweta Middle School, Evans Middle School, East Coweta High School and Newnan High School.

"Our teachers and our principals have done an outstanding job," said Superintendent Peggy Connell. "All of our schools did well overall, and the great majority of our schools met AYP in every subgroup.

"Two of our middle schools that appeared on the AYP list last year made adequate yearly progress in all subgroups this year," said Dr. Connell. I'm proud that our test scores and student performance continue to improve and exceed state averages. We will continue to work and make sure that all children are receiving the highest educational opportunities possible."

In the six schools not making AYP, data showed that some subgroups in the schools did not meet minimal testing criteria under the state standards, in the subgroup of Students With Disabilities, Limited English Proficiency students, or Economically Disadvantaged students.

Students at East Coweta High School did not meet the standards in language arts and mathematics in the subgroups of Students with Disabilities and in language arts within Economically Disadvantaged students.

Arnall Middle School did not meet AYP in language arts and mathematics in the subgroup of Limited English Proficiency students.

Poplar Road Elementary, East Coweta Middle School, Evans Middle School and Newnan High School did not met AYP within the subgroup of Students With Disabilities.

Also under the No Child Left Behind Act, schools are designated as "needs improvement" if they do not make AYP within the same subject (math or language arts) for two consecutive years.

Of the six Coweta schools that did not meet AYP, four are designated as "Needs Improvement" Schools. They include Arnall Middle School, East Coweta Middle School, East Coweta High School and Newnan High School.

These four schools must offer school choice. Due to the fact that these schools are non-Title I schools, transportation to the alternate site will not be provided.

Coweta school administrators are reviewing those criteria now and will designate alternate school choice sites for the four schools before Aug. 6.

"None of our elementary schools appear on the Needs Improvement list, and two have come off of the list this year after making excellent progress for two years in a row," said Dr. Connell.

No Child Left Behind (NCLB), signed into law in January 2002, requires states to set target goals for Adequate Yearly Progress based on student achievement data.