This report is a summary of your school's Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) results. The purpose of AYP is to ensure that all students have reading and mathematics skills that prepare them for the future. Adequate Yearly Progress measures whether each school has met the improvement goals established by No Child Left Behind. For a school to "meet AYP," students in the school must meet goals in three areas: (1) Attendance (for schools without a high school graduating class) or Graduation (for schools with a High School graduating class), (2) Academic Performance, and (3) Test Participation. For HAMILTON HEIGHTS EL, the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) taken by students in Grade 3, 4 and 5 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.

HAMILTON HEIGHTS EL met 12 out of 13 AYP targets in 2007-08. Because AYP requires meeting all of the targets, this school did not meet AYP requirements. Since schools that miss even one target "do not meet AYP," this status does not necessarily mean it is a chronically failing school.

For HAMILTON HEIGHTS EL, the "Did not meet AYP" status means that improvement is needed in:

• Math Proficiency by the Economically Disadvantaged student group. (The percent of students scoring Proficient and above in Math was 43.1% for Economically Disadvantaged students. This was below the AYP Target of 56% Math 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 HAMILTON HEIGHTS EL, the Safe Harbor targets for test performance were met in:

• Reading Proficiency of the Economically Disadvantaged 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 HAMILTON HEIGHTS EL, 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 HAMILTON HEIGHTS EL, no test performance targets were met by appeal.

This school will need to meet AYP for two years in a row to be considered on track to meet the goal of all students attaining proficiency in Reading and Math by the year 2014. 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.