The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary on Friday released results of Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests taken by students last April.  To see results for schools around the state, click here.  The MAP tests determine whether schools are making Adequate Yearly Progress in meeting the federal goal of having all students everywhere be proficient in communication arts and mathematics by 2014.
----

Edited news release from Springfield School District:

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released preliminary 2010 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) results on Friday.  The results are based on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 requires all schools, districts and states to show that students are making AYP by meeting annual targets in communication arts, mathematics, attendance and graduation rate.  AYP is determined by the percentage of students and student subgroups that score at the advanced or proficient level or are on track to proficiency by the law’s 2014 deadline.

Overall, the Springfield School District did not meet AYP in 2010. At the site level, 17 of 51 Springfield schools did meet AYP. View a summary of all Springfield School District schools' performances at http://springfieldpublicschoolsmo.org/documents/AYP_2010_Compilation.pdf.

A notable achievement for the district in 2010 is the increased percent of students scoring proficient and advanced in both communication arts and mathematics.  All but one subgroup, including total students, showed improvement in the percent of students who scored proficient and advanced.  Almost two-thirds of the district's elementary schools met AYP for communication arts, 26 this year versus just 17 in 2009.

Even more district schools demonstrated improvement in the number of students who scored proficient and advanced in both communication arts and mathematics. Of 51 schools, 30 increased their percent of students who scored proficient and advanced in communication arts, versus 25 the year before. In mathematics, 26 schools increased the percent of students who scored proficient and advanced, versus 25 schools in 2009.

Highlights of district's AYP results include:

• 26 of 36 elementary schools met AYP for communications arts in 2010, an increase of nine schools from 2009;

• All elementary and middle schools met AYP targets for attendance;

• 30 schools increased the percent of students who scored proficient and advanced in communication arts between 2009 and 2010;

• 26 schools increased the percent of students who scored proficient and advanced in mathematics between 2009 and 2010;

• 30 of 51 schools met AYP in communication arts, an increase of six schools from 2009;

• Seven schools that did not meet AYP in 2009 achieved AYP in 2010 -- Bingham, Boyd, Truman, Watkins, Wilder and York elementary schools; and Wilson ’s Creek 5-6 school;

• Nine of 10 district middle schools, including Wilson ’s Creek, saw increases in the number of students who scored proficient and advanced in math; and

• Bissett Elementary is no longer identified for school improvement since it has met AYP for the second year in a row.

A key objective of NCLB is that 100 percent of students be proficient in communication arts and math by 2014.  Meantime, annual AYP targets have been established to track schools’ progress.  This year, targets increased 8.2 percent in communication arts and 9.2 percent in mathematics.

For 2010, schools must have 67.4 percent of students performing proficient or above in communications arts; 63.3 percent must be proficient or better in math.  In 2011, those requirements will increase to 75.5 percent and 72.5 percent, respectively.

For a third year, school districts benefited from the AYP Growth Model, which takes into account individual student growth over time. The Growth Model allows for students who may not currently be proficient, but who are “on track” to achieve proficiency in four years, to be counted toward AYP.

According to the Growth Model, the Springfield School District had an additional 1,053 students in the area of communication arts and an additional 917 students in the area of mathematics who are on track to proficiency for AYP.

Any school failing to meet AYP two years in a row is identified for school improvement. According to the preliminary data, 13 Springfield schools are identified for school improvement this year:

Title I Schools in School Improvement Level 1, Delayed

Boyd Elementary

Title I Schools in School Improvement Level 1

Holland Elementary

Sunshine Elementary

Twain Elementary

Weaver Elementary

Title I Schools in School Improvement Level 2, Delayed

Westport Elementary

York Elementary

Title I Schools in School Improvement Level 2

Weller Elementary

Title I Schools in School Improvement Level 3

Williams Elementary

Pipkin Middle

Study Middle

Title I Schools in School Improvement Level 4

McGregor Elementary

Title I Schools in School Improvement Level 5

Reed Middle

“I am encouraged by this year’s AYP results,” said Norm Ridder, superintendent of schools. “Another increase in the number of students scoring at the advanced and proficient levels along with the number of students on track to reach those levels underscores the commitment and innovation of the teachers, principals and district staff who support their work.

“Our goal as a district is to meet or exceed accountability measures; however, AYP places unrealistic expectations on our schools that 100 percent of students be proficient. It is my hope that the federal and state governments will allow schools to move to more formative assessments that take a wider-ranging examination of a child’s ability and his or her school's academic progress.  Such a method of accountability would promote new and better approaches to education nationwide, allowing innovative school districts like Springfield Public Schools to better serve individual students.”

  ---- 

Here are supplemental materials:

1. Adequate Yearly Progress compilation for Springfield School District schools: http://springfieldpublicschoolsmo.org/documents/AYP_2010_Compilation.pdf

2. Adequate Yearly Progress criteria: http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/sia/dar/UnderstandingYourAYP.pdf