The AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) Report was under discussion at the regular meeting of the Lincoln County Board of Education held Tuesday, August 2.

AYP is a series of performance goals that every school, school system, and the state as a whole must achieve within time frames specified by law in order to meet the 100-percent proficiency goal of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The state uses the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) as the AYP assessment tool for elementary and middle schools and the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) for high schools. The focus is on Reading/English-Language arts and Mathematics.

Federal guidelines likewise require 95 percent of the students in each school and system or district to participate in testing. The regulations further mandate that 95 percent of each subgroup must take part in the testing as well. Included under the heading of subgroups are Blacks, Whites, Hispanics, Multi-Racial, Students With Disabilities, and the Economically Disadvantaged.

The secondary indicators for AYP are attendance for elementary and middle schools and the graduation rate for high schools.

After being assigned “Needs Improvement” status in 2002, LCES and LCMS, both Title I schools, met AYP standards in 2003 and 2004. The schools have met the standards again for 2005.

As for LCHS, the school failed to make AYP in 2003 because less than 95 percent of one of the subgroups did not take the graduation test. It did, however, meet the standards in 2004 and has done so again for 2005. Having made AYP for two consecutive years, the school has been removed from the “Needs Improvement” list and is considered a certified AYP school.

This is the good news: LCES, LCMS, and LCHS and all of the subgroups represented at the schools made AYP for 2005. The not-so-good news is that for the second consecutive year, the system as a whole failed to make AYP. This seems confusing in light of the fact that the three schools that comprise the system all made AYP. It was noted that the statistics are calculated differently at the system level.

Last year, five students who were not continuously enrolled at LCHS throughout the school year made the difference.

The students would generate a new school record each time they re-enrolled. At the school level, the records were not added together — each individual record was taken at face value. The students’ test scores counted for participation but not for academics.

However, at the system level, the state ruled that each student had completed a full academic year. Then, when the scores of these students on the English/Language Arts portion of the test were factored in, the students meeting or exceeding minimum state requirements dropped to 69 percent.

According to School Superintendent Randall Edmunds, the system did not make AYP for 2005 because the Students With Disabilities subgroup failed to meet AYP academic standards in Mathematics.

“These scores did not count at the school level,” he explained. “For the scores to count at this level, we must have 40 or more students in the subgroup. Naturally, in a system as small as ours, we did not have that many students with disabilities at any one of the three schools. But when you add all of the students with disabilities together at the system level, the scores count.”

In other comments, the superintendent said, “We’re discussing this issue with teachers, and they’re looking at ways to improve teaching and test performance. We hope to bring the scores up so these students will pass next year.”

Since the system failed to meet AYP in two different areas in 2004 and 2005, it will not be placed in the “Needs Improvement” category.

In conclusion, Dr. Edmunds indicated that he is pleased that all three schools in the system met AYP standards for 2005. “I appreciate the hard work and effort put forth by the teachers, staff, and students to attain this classification. If we keep making AYP, we will be eligible for some state awards.”

Concerning other counties in the area, all of Wilkes County’s four schools and five of the six schools in McDuffie County made AYP; the two systems met AYP standards as well. Likewise, six of Elbert County’s seven schools, 23 of Columbia County’s 26 schools, two of Oglethorpe County’s four schools, and three of Greene County’s four schools made AYP; the counties did not, however, meet AYP standards at the system level.

Statewide, more than 80 percent of Georgia’s 2,040 schools made AYP. Moreover, there were 55 school systems in the state — nearly 30 percent — in which every school met AYP standards.

In other business, the board:

Reviewed the SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) Summary Report through July 31, 2005, and the General Fund Financial Report for the period from July 1, 2005, through July 31, 2005.

Concerning SPLOST funds, Dr. Edmunds noted that the system received a check for $62,320 for May. “This is the highest monthly amount we’ve received so far. We hope the sales tax continues to stay up there.”

As for the General Fund, the superintendent indicated that the system received a total of $1,600 for two old school buses that were sold at a recent auction.

Was presented with individual certificates from the Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) for successfully completing school board member training for the 20042005 school year. The board members are Robert Hearst; Becky Reed; Marcy Remsen; Dr. Robert Williams, chairman; and Wayne Williford.

The presentations were made by Dr. Edmunds.

In his comments, the superintendent said, “I want to personally thank you all for taking the time and making the effort to attend these training sessions. It says a lot that you are willing to learn about the new policies and laws — it certainly isn’t getting any easier to deal with them.”

Voted to approve the following to serve as business representatives on the school councils: LCES — Dr. Greg Griffin (dentist); LCMS — Maria Bradford (Farmers State Bank); and LCHS — Beth Dawkins (Southern Cleaning Products).

Each school council is comprised of two individuals representing the business community, two parents, two teachers, and the school principal.

Was presented with school calendars for 2004-2005. The Red Devils’ will travel to Greene County for its season opener Friday, August 19.

Voted to approve Chairman Robert Williams to serve as the system’s GSBA legislative liaison.

Was informed by Superintendent Edmunds that workers are almost finished replacing the roof on the LCHS Gymnasium.

Voted to enter into executive session to deliberate upon the employment of personnel. Upon returning to regular session, the board:

Voted to accept the resignation of Sherry Collins from her school food service position at LCES.

Voted to approve Eunice Sapp to move from part-time to full-time status as a school food service worker.

Voted to accept the resignation of Betty F. Campbell from her teaching position at LCES.

The next regular meeting of the board of education will be held Tuesday, September 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the board office on Metasville Road.