Chesterfield schools make adequate yearly progress
Progress still needed at four schools among disadvantaged/disabled students

For the third time in five years, Chesterfield County Public Schools (CCPS) has made adequate yearly progress (AYP) as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

"Making AYP demonstrates our division continues to move forward with the school board's vision that every school will be a thriving, dynamic and inspiring educational environment that produces self-directed learners," said Superintendent Marcus J. Newsome.

A record number of Chesterfield schools achieved AYP this year, including three that made it for the first time: Carver Middle, Manchester Middle and Manchester High. At the school level, 54 of Chesterfield's 59 schools are classified as having achieved AYP. That's an improvement over the 2006-07 school year when 48 Chesterfield schools achieved AYP.

AYP for 2007-08 is based on test scores from the previous school year. To achieve AYP, a school must meet 29 objectives for student achievement. Missing just one objective caused three Chesterfield schools to fall short of making AYP this year, while another school missed two objectives. Schools not making AYP included:

• Matoaca Middle - reading performance by students with disabilities

• Providence Middle - reading performance by students with disabilities

• Salem Church Middle - reading performance by students with disabilities and math performance by students with disabilities

• Meadowbrook High - math performance by disadvantaged students

The school system is undertaking initiatives to help close achievement gaps among disadvantaged and disabled students.

"We're sort of triaging them [the schools that didn't make AYP] from the district office," said Dr. Dale Kalkofen, assistant superintendent of instruction.

One of the biggest challenges school systems have faced since the state began using Standards of Learning (SOL) tests to monitor student progress is making sure that the material taught in classrooms matches what appears on the tests.

"There's definitely an art and a science to this, and we're trying to make sure the written and the taught curriculums are aligned," said Kalkofen.

Schools that didn't make AYP are now being required to administer benchmark tests to all students at the end of every nine-week session to monitor their progress in preparation for SOL tests. The benchmark tests mimic regular SOLs and were previously voluntary for all schools.

Targeted staffing additions will put 60 new reading teachers and eight new mathematics coaches into schools throughout the county. About 30 of those new reading teachers are working at the elementary school level, essentially doubling the number of specialists available to younger students.

All sixth-grade students - regardless of whether their school made AYP this year - are being taught strategic reading during the fall semester in hopes of boosting their comprehension and vocabulary skills. Students will switch to traditional language arts for the spring semester.

Strategic reading is also being offered to ninth-graders who are struggling with that subject.

Three high schools are changing the way they use time this year in order to make each school day more effective. Meadowbrook High is starting 15 minutes earlier and ending 15 minutes later to give students time during the school day for academic support such as tutoring and remediation.

While keeping their regular school hours, James River and Matoaca high schools has shifted to a one-hour lunch period in which all students can eat and still have time for academic support and enrichment.

The school system is piloting a targeted school readiness initiative for about 100 at-risk four year olds this year. The Virginia Preschool Initiative is also helping children at seven other elementary schools prepare for kindergarten.

As a division, CCPS made AYP for 2007-08, 2004-05 and 2003-04.