Adequate Yearly Progress

Description
By participating in Title 1 – a voluntary federal program that provides more than $11 billion to participating states to help educate low-income children – states agree to commit themselves to the goal of all students proficient in language arts and math by 2014. In order to tell whether schools and districts are on-track to meet that goal, each state sets benchmark goals to measure whether schools and districts are making “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP) toward teaching all students what they need to know. The AYP provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) set a new standard for defining success. Schools are expected to meet clearly defined goals for teaching all students to state standards.

States decide whether schools are making AYP through a five step process.

1.  States determine what all students should know and be able to do. They do this by setting academic standards. States then develop tests that measure whether schools are teaching students what the state expects them to know.
2.  States calculate the starting point for AYP. The goal of NCLB is for all students to be proficient in language arts and math by 2014. The law allows states to set a low beginning target and to raise the target incrementally until it reaches 100% by 2014.
3.  States set specific targets to measure whether all groups of students are making AYP in language arts and math. Once the baseline is established, states set targets for increasing the number of students who are proficient over time, culminating with 100% proficient in 2014.
4.  States measure the performance of students, schools, and school districts.
5.  Steps are taken to help students in schools that do not make AYP. Once there is a process in place for determining whether schools and school districts are making AYP, states are required to take a variety of steps to help schools that are struggling – that is, consistently not making AYP. These steps are referred to as the Program Improvement process.

In January, 2003 the State Board of Education adopted a new definition of AYP for California. This action represented a major change in state educational policy in response to the new federal law. All schools, districts, and numerically significant subgroups are required to make AYP, regardless of whether the school or district receives federal Title 1 funding.

California’s new definition of AYP includes four components:

1. Percent “proficient or above” on statewide assessments. The school as a whole, the district, and all numerically significant   subgroups at both the school and the district levels are required to show performance at or above the statewide annual measurable objectives (AMOs) in English language arts and mathematics.
2.  Participation rate in the statewide assessments. NCLB requires that 95% of students that are continually enrolled from the CBEDS date to the first date of testing be assessed at the school, district, and in each numerically significant subgroup.
3.  Academic Performance Index (API). NCLB requires that each state adopt an “additional indicator” for AYP. California has chosen the API as this indicator.
4.  Graduation rate (for high schools and districts with high schools only). California will use a graduation rate corresponding to the National Center for Educational Statistics.

Services Available through SCOE
Staff from the SCOE are available to provide workshops/trainings to school personnel and community groups on all aspects of AYP. These workshops/trainings can be delivered at the SCOE or at specific school/district sites. For more information, visit:  www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ay/

Contact
For more information, contact Mike DeRoss at 842.8404.

Updated for school year 2009-10.