Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) 
The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires that states establish performance goals for all schools, districts, and the state to ensure that all students reach 100% proficiency on state assessments by 2014. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) refers to the intermediate yearly goals that each state must establish. Test scores will be analyzed yearly to determine if a school, district and the state are reaching the intermediate goals, or in other words, making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
Does No Child Left Behind (NCLB) apply to all schools?
Yes. Every school is assessed to determine if it is making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), and AYP must be a part of the state accountability plan. All schools must be subject to sanctions for not making AYP; however, only Title 1 schools are subject to the federal sanctions detailed in NCLB. Georgia law details the sanctions that will apply to all schools (including Title 1 schools). In July 2004, the state Board of Education passed the statewide accountability plan. The awards and consequences are in board rule 160-7-01-.04 (www.doe.k12.ga.us/_documents/doe/legalservices/160-7-1-.04.pdf).
Which assessments are used for AYP?
The calculation for AYP uses results of the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCTs), the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT), and the Georgia Alternative Assessment (GAA) in reading/English/language arts and mathematics. Beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, science will be included. Although all students are tested, only students enrolled continuously in the same school since the October FTE count will be used for school AYP performance determination. (The FTE count is a Georgia Department of Education report detailing student enrollment as of a specific date.)
Which students are included in AYP?
The AYP definition requires that performance goals be established for all students and for each of the following subgroups of students:
- race/ethnicity (American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian/ Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, Multiracial, and White),
- disability,
- limited English proficiency (LEP), and
- socioeconomic status.
Georgia has elected to use the same performance goals for all subgroups. A subgroup must have at least 40 students for its results to count towards AYP determination.
How does a school meet AYP?
To meet AYP, a school must meet these 3 requirements.
- All students and each subgroup (at or above the minimum number of 40 students) must have 95% participation on the assessments.
- All students and each subgroup (at or above the minimum number of 40 students) present for the full academic year (October FTE count through the testing date) must meet or exceed the performance goals.
- Each school must show progress on an additional academic indicator. Secondary schools will be required to show progress on graduation rates. School districts selected the elementary/middle school indicator from a Georgia DOE list of valid indicators earlier this year. The indicator selected for 2004-2005 must remain in place at least 3 years.
What are the requirements to meet the participation goal?
In order to meet the participation requirement 95% of all students attending at the time of the assessment must participate. Schools may elect to use a two or three year average and may omit students who miss the testing window due to a medical emergency.
What are the requirements to meet the performance goal?
The performance goal is determined based on the results of the students enrolled since the October FTE count.
The 2004-2005 AYP performance goals for grades 3-8 are:
- CRCT Reading and English/language arts combined – 66.7% Meets or Exceeds Standards
- CRCT Mathematics – 58.3% Meets or Exceeds Standards
The 2004-2005 AYP performance goals for grade 11 have yet to be determined. Georgia is currently revising its annual measurable objectives for high schools. The performance goals for grade 11 were initially set at:
- GHSGT English/language arts - 88% Pass or Pass Plus
- GHSGT Mathematics - 81% Pass or Pass Plus
These percentages apply to all students and to each subgroup having more than 40 students. The AYP performance goals rise every 3 years from 2004-2005 through 2009-10, and then, annually, to 100% proficiency in 2013-2014.
If the performance goal is not met, can AYP still be met?
If a group fails to meet the performance goals, the group may still be able to make AYP by using the confidence interval, multi-year averaging, or safe harbor methods. The confidence interval method is a statistical test that minimizes the chance that the group didn't make AYP due to chance. Multi-year averaging uses the current year and the two previous years. If the three year average is equal to or greater than the performance goal, the group makes AYP.
The safe harbor provision requires that a group have a 10% reduction in the number of students in the "Does Not Meet" category of the CRCT or the "Fails" category of the GHSGT. The group must also show progress in the additional academic indicator.
Are there consequences for not meeting AYP?
If a school fails to make AYP for two or more consecutive years in the same subject, it is placed on the Needs Improvement list and must offer students the opportunity to transfer to a higher performing school within the district. If a school fails to make AYP for three or more consecutive years, low-performing students in the school are eligible for tutoring or supplemental educational services with either the school or an outside provider. There are additional federal consequences for Title 1 schools; Georgia law and State Board of Education rules define the consequences applicable to non Title 1 schools. Consequences for schools and systems not meeting AYP can be found on the Georgia Department of Education website at www.doe.k12.ga.us/support/plan/nclb/ayp_consequences.asp .
Additional Resources
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), Georgia Department of Education
Consolidated State Application Accountability Workbook, (PDF format) US Department of Education. This workbook presents Georgia's plan for defining adequate yearly progress (AYP) as required by No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
Questions and Answers on No Child Left Behind, US Department of Education
The ABCs of "AYP", Raising Achievement for All Students, (PDF format) The Education Trust
