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Adequate Yearly Progress is one of the cornerstones of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and Georgia released Dougherty County’s first round results today.

Out of Dougherty County’s 26 schools, only six did not make AYP.  But those six included all DCSS high schools and Albany, Dougherty middle schools. Dr. Sally Whatley says the criteria used to make AYP is very strict.

“Test participation, annual measurable objective and a second indicator. The second indicator is attendance at elementary and middle school levels and graduation rate at the high school level. If you have a minimum of 40 children or 10% of the total population that are tested at a school level with 75 being the cap a subgroup if you will, of 40 children could cause a school not to make adequate yearly progress,” said Whatley.

Administrators say not meeting AYP doesn’t mean a school is bad. Of the six Dougherty County schools that didn’t not meet AYP requirements, five struggled with math – some in only one subgroup, but Monroe cleared the measurable objective in math and was held back by its graduation rate.

“We are appealing how they are coded and student records and also with the graduation rate. For example: Albany high and Dougherty high didn’t have the baseline of 55% last year but they made dramatic progress this year, particularly Dougherty High, and I’d hate for that to be held against them,” said Whatley.