The South Carolina Department of Education released the district and school ratings from the federal Adequate Yearly Progress as part of the No Child Left Behind Act. The number of elementary and middle schools meeting all of their federal goals last school year was down to just 27 percent. 61 percent of them met all the goals in 2010.
To see your child's school or district ratings, click here. Below is a press release from the SC Education Department:
COLUMBIA - South Carolina elementary and middle school ratings under the federal government's No Child Left Behind law dropped dramatically this year despite widespread improvements by those same schools on state test results announced last week.
Only 27 percent of the state's elementary and middle schools met all of their federal goals in 2011, down from 61 percent last year.
State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais described the federal No Child Left Behind school accountability system as "broken."
"For the federal government to label a school as 'failing' when it meets or exceeds every goal except one defies common sense," he said. "It's time for Washington to end top-down directives and acknowledge its limited role in setting education policy."
Zais emphasized that he is committed to a strong accountability system for South Carolina, but he said there are better ways to set and meet high standards for schools. Zais said the State Department of Education is reviewing federal mandates and may submit waiver requests to the U.S. Department of Education requesting flexibility while maintaining high standards.
"Washington should set clear expectations and measures of accountability, then get out of the way," he said. "There should not be dual systems of accountability. Individually, a state and the U.S. Department of Education should agree to one system. Accountability and autonomy are two sides of the same coin. If the federal government wants to hold states accountable for the results, it should allow states maximum flexibility to affect the outcomes."
Zais has consistently supported flexibility measures such as Senator Jim DeMint's Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success Act, or A-PLUS Act. This legislation would free states from many unnecessary and costly regulations. In exchange for regulatory relief, states would sign a performance agreement with the U.S. Secretary of Education to meet certain student achievement goals. The federal Office of Management and Budget estimated in 2006 that federal education laws cost states seven million work-hours in paperwork and $141 million, just for compliance.
Federal ratings tumbled this year because the percentages of South Carolina elementary and middle school students who had to be proficient on Math and English Language Arts tests in order to meet federal goals jumped from about 58 percent to nearly 80 percent. South Carolina's targets for "Adequate Yearly Progress," like those of other states, are rising quickly in order to meet NCLB's requirement that all students - including those who come from low-income families, speak limited English or have learning disabilities - score "proficient" on state math and English Language Arts tests by 2014. (A score of "Met" on South Carolina's PASS tests meets the federal standard for "Proficient.")
Most South Carolina schools have either 17 or 21 federal goals, and falling short on even one means that they do not meet AYP. For "Title I schools" - those that receive federal Title I funds because they have a significant number of students from economically disadvantaged families - not meeting AYP carries considerable consequences.
When a Title I school misses the same subject area performance target for two years consecutively, the school is designated in "Needs Improvement" status. For schools identified as being in "Needs Improvement" status, parents must be offered the choice of sending their children to another school in that district that is not in "Needs Improvement" status. A second year in "Needs Improvement" (third year of not meeting AYP) requires the school to offer supplemental services such as student tutoring, as well as the choice option.
Title I schools that continue in "Needs Improvement" status ultimately face "restructuring" that can include firing most or all of the school's staff; being operated by a private company; being converted into a charter school; or being taken over by the state.
District, state AYP ratings
One school district made AYP (Saluda County), compared to three districts last year. Seventy-two districts fell short by missing 1-5 goals, two more districts than last year's 70.
As a whole, South Carolina made 35 of its 37 goals and so fell short of making AYP. Last year the state also made 35 of its 37 goals.
Elementary and middle school AYP ratings
In order to meet AYP this year, South Carolina elementary and middle schools must have had at least 79.4 percent of their students proficient in English Language Arts (up from 58.8 percent last year). In math, at least 79 percent had to be proficient (up from 57.8 percent last year).
For 2011, 243 of 908 elementary and middle schools met AYP (27 percent), down from 556 of 905 schools last year (61 percent). Of the 665 elementary and middle schools that did not meet AYP (350 didn't make AYP last year), 504 fell just short by missing 1-5 goals. One hundred schools didn't make AYP because they missed a single goal.
High school AYP ratings
In order the make AYP, high schools must have had 71.3 percent of their students proficient in English Language Arts and 70 percent proficient in math.
Thirteen of 179 high schools met all of their federal AYP goals, a nearly identical percentage as last year. Of the 166 high schools that did not meet AYP, 61 fell short by missing 1-5 goals. (Unlike elementary and middle schools, high school achievement targets did not change from last year.)
NCLB background information and school transfer data
NCLB requires schools and districts to break out their performance data into a number of student "subcategories" that include ethnicity, special education, poverty and limited ability with English. The more demographic categories a school has, the more goals it must meet.
Most South Carolina schools have either 17 or 21 of these AYP targets, although some have as many as 37. If even one subcategory of students doesn't meet its goal for that year, or if more than five percent of those students weren't tested, the school does not meet AYP for that year. Elementary and middle schools can also miss AYP if their overall attendance rate is lower than 94 percent. High schools miss if graduation rates decline from the previous year.
For "Title I schools" - those that receive federal Title I funds because they have a significant number of students from economically disadvantaged families - not meeting AYP carries considerable consequences. When a Title I school misses the same AYP target for two years consecutively, the school is designated in "Needs Improvement" status.
For schools identified as being in "Needs Improvement" status, parents must be offered the choice of sending their children to another school in that district that is not in "Needs Improvement" status. For 2011-12, 180 schools are required to offer a school choice option.
A second year in "Needs Improvement" (third year of not meeting AYP) requires the school to offer supplemental services such as student tutoring, as well as the choice option. The parent may request either of these options. More severe consequences follow for Title I schools that continue to be designated as "Needs Improvement."
A school district in "Needs Improvement" status must use 10 percent of its Title I funds for professional development. In addition, the district must develop a district-wide improvement plan. If a district misses AYP for three consecutive years, it must revise or continue its improvement plan. If a district misses AYP for four consecutive years, the state must take corrective actions that could include instituting new curricula, replacing district personnel, appointing a trustee to administer district operations in place of the local superintendent and school board, and restructuring or even abolishing the school district entirely.
While NCLB relies on PASS scores to determine performance ratings for South Carolina's elementary and middle schools, high school data come from student performance on the High School Assessment Program.
