      Gastonia, N.C. – According to preliminary results released today by the state, GCS increased the percent of target goals met under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal law for the third consecutive year.

      This year (2010), the district met 94.4 percent of its goals (67 of 71) set under NCLB compared to 87.9 percent in 2009 and 80.3 percent in 2008.

      Fifty-nine percent or 32 of GCS’s 54 schools met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) by achieving 100 percent of their target goals under NCLB. In addition, 11 other schools achieved more than 90 percent of their goals and missed AYP by only one or two target goals.   All together, 50 of 54 schools met at least 80 percent or more of their goals.

      Superintendent L. Reeves McGlohon said, “We are extremely pleased that our schools improved for the third year. This is another step in the right direction. Our objective is to have all schools make AYP and we will keep working towards this goal.”

      McGlohon explains, “I am particularly proud that during very difficult economic times with larger class sizes, fewer dollars and less resources, Gaston County schools continue to improve. The credit goes to our teachers and principals and their positive “can do” attitude – they did a great job.”

      McGlohon continues, “Under the No Child Left Behind federal law, every single subgroup of students must meet state standards to make AYP. It doesn’t matter how well the school did as a whole – if one small subgroup of students does not meet state standards then the school doesn’t make AYP. That is what makes it so difficult – it’s an all or nothing model. Our students and teachers have worked very hard and we’ve made great strides, but we must continue to improve.”

      High school AYP is based on English I, Writing, Algebra I and the graduation rate. Elementary and middle school AYP is based on reading, math and attendance. Higher and more rigorous standards were set over the past three years making it more difficult for schools all over the state to meet the AYP goals for every single subgroup.

Points to note:

These are preliminary results and subject to change.
32 of 54 schools made 100 percent of their target goals; 11 made 90 percent or above and 50 of 54 schools made at least 80 percent of their target goals.
AYP is an all or nothing model. Every school must meet 100 percent of the target goals or the school doesn’t make AYP. A school could have very high proficiency, but not make AYP.
More rigorous state standards were set over the past three years for schools.
Every subgroup of students (a subgroup includes 40 or more students) must make AYP or the school does not make adequate progress. The subgroups include: School as a Whole, Students with Disabilities, Limited English Proficient Students, Economically Disadvantaged Students, Racial/Ethnic groups including: Asian, White, African-American, American Indian, Hispanic, Multiracial.
Making AYP is more difficult for schools serving a diverse population. For example, Holbrook Middle School had 29 target goals and the school achieved 96.6 percent of its goals.

2010 School-by-School Preliminary AYP Results
These results are preliminary pending State Board approval on August 5, 2010.

This year, (2010) the district met 94.4 percent of its goals (67 of 71) set under NCLB compared to 87.9 percent in 2009 and 80.3 percent in 2008.

LEA: Gaston County Schools
32 schools (or 59.3%) out of 54 made Adequate Yearly Progress

School: Ashbrook High School
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 19 (or 95.0%) out of 20 target goals

School: Belmont Central Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 15 (or 100.0%) out of 15 target goals

School: Belmont Middle
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 19 (or 100.0%) out of 19 target goals

School: Bessemer City Central Elem
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 17 (or 81.0%) out of 21 target goals

School: Bessemer City High
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 12 (or 92.3%) out of 13 target goals

School: Bessemer City Primary
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School is a K-2 Feeder School

School: William Blaine Beam Intermediate
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 13 (or 100.0%) out of 13 target goals

School: Brookside Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 21 (or 100.0%) out of 21 target goals

School: Carr Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 19 (or 100.0%) out of 19 target goals

School: Catawba Heights Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 13 (or 100.0%) out of 13 target goals

School: Chapel Grove Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 13 (or 100.0%) out of 13 target goals

School: Cherryville High
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 12 (or 92.3%) out of 13 target goals

School: Cherryville Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 13 (or 100.0%) out of 13 target goals

School: Warlick Academy (Alternate School)
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 0 (or 0.0%) out of 6 target goals

School: Costner Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 17 (or 100.0%) out of 17 target goals

School: Cramerton Middle
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 21 (or 100.0%) out of 21 target goals

School: East Gaston High
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 13 (or 100.0%) out of 13 target goals

School: Sadler Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 17 (or 100.0%) out of 17 target goals

School: Webb Street (Special Needs School)
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School is a Feeder School

School: Forestview High
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 17 (or 100.0%) out of 17 target goals

School: Gardner Park Elementary
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 22 (or 95.7%) out of 23 target goals

School: Grier Middle
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 22 (or 88.0%) out of 25 target goals

School: Hawks Nest Intermediate
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 13 (or 100.0%) out of 13 target goals

School: Highland School of Technology
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 13 (or 100.0%) out of 13 target goals

School: Holbrook Middle
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 28 (or 96.6%) out of 29 target goals

School: Hunter Huss High
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 16 (or 94.1%) out of 17 target goals

School: Page Primary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School is a K-2 Feeder School

School: Chavis Middle
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 21 (or 100.0%) out of 21 target goals

School: Kiser Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 17 (or 100.0%) out of 17 target goals

School: Bessemer City Middle
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 18 (or 85.7%) out of 21 target goals

School: Lingerfeldt Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 19 (or 100.0%) out of 19 target goals

School: Lowell Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 15 (or 100.0%) out of 15 target goals

School: McAdenville Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 13 (or 100.0%) out of 13 target goals

School: Mount Holly Middle
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 20 (or 95.2%) out of 21 target goals

School: Forest Heights Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 21 (or 100.0%) out of 21 target goals

School: New Hope Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 13 (or 100.0%) out of 13 target goals

School: North Belmont Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 13 (or 100.0%) out of 13 target goals

School: North Gaston High
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 10 (or 76.9%) out of 13 target goals

School: Pinewood Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 15 (or 100.0%) out of 15 target goals

School: Pleasant Ridge Elementary
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 10 (or 76.9%) out of 13 target goals

School: Rankin Elementary
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 18 (or 85.7%) out of 21 target goals

School: Rhyne Elementary
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 15 (or 88.2%) out of 17 target goals

School: Robinson Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 9 (or 100.0%) out of 9 target goals

School: Sherwood Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 19 (or 100.0%) out of 19 target goals

School: H. H. Beam Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 19 (or 100.0%) out of 19 target goals

School: South Point High
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 13 (or 100.0%) out of 13 target goals

School: Southwest Middle
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 27 (or 93.1%) out of 29 target goals

School: Springfield Primary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School is a K-2 Feeder School

School: Stanley Middle
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 20 (or 95.2%) out of 21 target goals

School: Tryon Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 13 (or 100.0%) out of 13 target goals

School: W. A. Bess Elementary
School made Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 17 (or 100.0%) out of 17 target goals

School: William Friday Middle
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 21 (or 91.3%) out of 23 target goals

School: Woodhill Elementary
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 9 (or 69.2%) out of 13 target goals

School: York Chester Middle
School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
School met 20 (or 95.2%) out of 21 target goals

Background information about Adequate Yearly Progress under the NCLB federal legislation passed in 2002

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) involves meeting specific proficiency standards with each group of students in each school. To make AYP, a school must meet every single target, which could total as many as 41 targets depending on the number of groups in a particular school. Each school’s targets are for groups of students totaling at least 40 students, including the School as a Whole, each racial/ethnic category, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students and limited English proficient students.

NCLB requires every school to chart their AYP toward the goal of 100 percent student proficiency by 2013-2014. If a school misses even one target goal, they are considered not to have met the federal standard for AYP for the year. This is the eighth year that all North Carolina schools have been held to this standard (100 percent of goals), a standard considered difficult to meet even for some of the highest-performing schools in the country.

Each school has varying numbers of target goals, depending on how many subgroups of students it has, that must be reached to make AYP – therefore comparing schools is discouraged. AYP is especially difficult for schools that serve a diverse population. Many very academically strong schools may not make AYP.

Contact: Bonnie Reidy
Chief Communications Officer

704-866-6118
704-867-1711, Evenings and Weekends
e-mail: breidy@gaston.k12.nc.us