Explaining how the federal government rates schools

What is AYP?

AYP stands for Adequate Yearly Progress and is a measure of how well the nation’s schoolchildren are performing on their state’s standardized test. AYP also looks at other indicators, like graduation rates for high schools and attendance rates for elementary and middle schools. It also evaluates the academic performance of subgroups of students like low-income students and students with special needs.

Why is it important?

Failure to make AYP has consequences. If schools do not make AYP multiple years in a row, they must offer their students transfers to other schools. Other sanctions include restructuring that could mean principals and teachers get replaced.

If a school doesn’t make AYP, does that mean it’s failing?

Not necessarily. It means the school did not meet one or more of its AYP targets. For example, if a school has 24 AYP targets and meets 23, it does not make AYP that year.

Who made AYP

These Midlands schools met federal improvement standards under No Child Left Behind. No schools in Lexington 3 and Lexington 4 made AYP.

Richland 1

Brockman Elementary

Gadsden Elementary

South Kilbourne Elementary

E.E. Taylor Elementary

Richland 2

Bookman Road Elementary

Lake Carolina Elementary

Pontiac Elementary

Sandlapper Elementary

Lexington 1

Lexington Intermediate

Oak Grove Elementary

Pleasant Hill Elementary

Lexington 2

Springdale Elementary

Lex.-Richland 5

Ballentine Elementary

Lake Murray Elementary

River Springs Elementary

Seven Oaks Elementary

Kershaw

Baron DeKalb Elementary

Blaney Elementary

Camden Elementary

Doby’s Mill Elementary

Lugoff Elementary

Mount Pisgah Elementary

SOURCE: S.C. Department of Education