This report is a summary of your district's Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) results. The purpose of AYP is to ensure that all students have reading and math skills that prepare them for the future. Adequate Yearly Progress measures whether schools and districts have met the improvement goals established by No Child Left Behind. To "meet AYP," students in the school or district must meet goals in all three AYP Objectives: (1) Graduation and Attendance, (2) Academic Performance, and (3) Test Participation. This year, districts are assessed in three grade spans: Grades 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12. In ABINGTON HEIGHTS SD, the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) taken by students in Grades 5, 8 and 11 is used to determine Academic Performance and Test Participation in Reading and Mathematics. To learn more about AYP, click the "About AYP" link at the top of the page.

ABINGTON HEIGHTS SD met all three AYP Objectives (Graduation, Academic Performance, and Test Participation) in 2007-08. This is good news! This district is on track to meet the goal of all students reaching proficiency.

Unlike schools, districts are not required to meet all targets to demonstrate adequate yearly progress. Although ABINGTON HEIGHTS SD met AYP this year, not all targets were met. This means that improvement is needed in:

• Reading Proficiency in Grades 3-5 and Grades 9-12. At least one of the student groups performed below the AYP target of 63% and did not show enough improvement from last year to reach Safe Harbor.

Safe Harbor is achieved when a subgroup has greatly improved since the previous year — even though it did not meet the state target. (The measure for Safe Harbor improvement is at least a 10% reduction of the percentage of students who scored below proficient for Reading or Mathematics from last year to this year).

For ABINGTON HEIGHTS SD, the Safe Harbor targets for test performance were met in:

• Grades 9-12 Math Proficiency of the IEP Special Education student group.

The Pennsylvania Performance Index (PPI) measures growth across all levels of the PSSA, not just Proficient and Non-proficient. Since this index shows significant growth including growth at the lowest levels, it is a good indication that low performing schools are building a foundation to meet AYP objectives. PPI can be used by schools and districts to demonstrate significant growth and thereby meet AYP targets.

In ABINGTON HEIGHTS SD, no test performance targets were met by PPI.

When initial AYP results are announced in July each year, schools and districts can correct any coding errors in the data themselves. Also, schools and districts have the opportunity to appeal the AYP rulings through the Pennsylvania Department of Education if they believe their AYP identification was in error for statistical or substantive reasons.

In ABINGTON HEIGHTS SD, no test performance targets were met by Appeal.

This district may wish to review its improvement strategies and create an improvement plan to continue to meet AYP next year. Click the 'About AYP' link at the top of the page to learn more about AYP requirements and AYP status levels in Pennsylvania.

Teachers:

Teachers of students who were tested for AYP have access to information that can help inform their instruction. You can access these instructional tools at www.grownetwork.com. Contact your principal for access to the instructional tools online, as well as to the published Parent Reports and School Reports, which should be available at your school.

• For teachers with students who were tested for AYP in Spring 2008, copies of printed Parent Reports are available to identify stronger and weaker areas by standard for each student. These reports can help current teachers target instruction to each student.
• School reports in print and online are also available for Grades 3–5 and 6–8, the grades tested for AYP in Spring 2008. These reports can provide insight into grade-specific topic areas that may require additional attention during the current school year.

Administrators:

New requirements will be in effect for meeting future AYP state targets.

• The 2010 state target for students at or above proficient will be 11 percentage points higher for Mathematics (56% in 2008 to 67% in 2010), and will be 9 percentage points higher in Reading (from 63% in 2008 to 72% in 2010).

Suggestions for improving performance:

• Make personal phone calls to parents or caregivers if a child skips a day. Automated phone messages are less likely to make an impact.
• Contact other schools or districts that have achieved large gains in areas where your school or district wishes to improve. Collecting best practices can help you develop strategies for improvement.
  • To find schools that have made large gains in academic performance within a specific demographic subgroup, download the results for all the schools in the state (click here to access the State Report page and download files). Schools with the greatest improvement in your areas of interest will have the highest "Safe Harbor: Reduction of Nonproficiency" in that area. (This indicates they have the largest percentage reduction in non-proficient students.) Sort the downloaded results from highest to lowest for the subgroup of interest in reading or mathematics to identify schools showing the most improvement over the past year.
• Create an improvement plan using the templates at the Pennsylvania Accountability System website:
• Schools: "Getting Results—A Roadmap for School Improvement"
• Districts: "Leading for Learning—A Framework for District Improvement Planning "

Suggestions for improving test participation and attendance:

• Work with parents to ensure their children are attending school every day, including testing days. Meet with all new students and their families to emphasize the importance of attendance in your school.
• Acknowledge classrooms with perfect attendance.
• Provide rewards and incentives that celebrate their achievements.